Wake Me Up
by Hazel Grace L
Summary: When Percy collides into Jason - quite literally - they find themselves slowly falling in love. Everything isn't always as simple as it seems, though, because Percy's ex-girlfriend, Annabeth, shows up and things get complicated. Already faced with the challenges of college and growing up, Percy must choose between his past and his future. (AU Jercy & slight Percabeth)
1. Chapter 1

**So I figured there weren't a lot of Jercy fics and they're kinda like my OTP and I took it upon myself to write this. I'm giving out a warning that there might be some language - they're in college so that's self-explanatory. Also, if you don't like boyxboy, then you might not want to read this.**

**Thanks to Ed Sheeran for giving me the idea to write this chapter. The beginning is loosely based off the song 'U.N.I.' which is a pretty awesome song if you ask me. The title is also another song off of Ed's album '+'.**

**Finally, a disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson characters, Rick Riordan does, blah blah blah. This disclaimer applies to the entire story by the way.**

**Okay, read on, my darlings. **

* * *

Percy had been cleaning his dorm room when he found it.

A small baby blue elastic hairband, no thicker than his wrist. It was a small thing, really, which didn't explain the tidal wave of emotions that hit him at the sight of it.

Blonde curls. Late night phone calls, soft breathing echoing in his ear. Grey eyes and oh God, he was going to be sick. In his post-hangover state it was all too much to handle, his poor hands were shaking uncontrollably.

He had to get out.

Percy internally cursed the stupid university for having community bathrooms for all the boys in the dorm building, placing a hand on the wall to steady himself. He doubted he could make it to the toilet to hurl what he'd hastily scarfed down during his severe case of the munchies. He considered himself lucky if he made it out of his room alone.

Gathering himself, Percy swung open and was prepared to make a mad dash to the bathroom before he slammed into someone, falling to the ground with a quiet '_oomph_'.

"Dude, are you okay?"

Percy stared blankly at the floor beneath him. What was he supposed to tell this stranger? _Yeah, I just thought about my ex and had a panic attack, I'm doing fine. How are you?_

"Ouch," Percy looked up at the person and was strikingly aware that he was blonde. Because no one was as freaking lucky as Percy. "That must suck with the whole ex thing... I'm doing great, though. Thanks for asking."

"Oh, shit, did I say that out loud?"

The blonde laughed, the corner of his eyes crinkling. "Yes, you did. I'm Jason Grace, by the way." He offered a hand down to Percy, who stared at it and Jason briefly wondered if this green-eyed boy sprawled on the floor had ever received a helping hand before.

Percy blinked and realized this Jason kid was holding his hand out to lift him up. His cheeks flushed as he put his own hand in Jason's, the blonde easily hoisting him up with one hand. Percy inwardly groaned. He really needed to start working out again. This guy was making him feel like he was five-years-old again and Percy was not a fan of his childhood. Or any other part of his life for that matter, but that was beside the point. Jason had muscle and Percy had - well, flab.

Mustering up his most charming smile, Percy grinned, a dimple popping up on his cheek. "I'm the infamous Percy Jackson, but that's a really long name so you can just call me Percy." He said cheekily, finding himself smirking a bit when Jason quirked an eyebrow and he really took the chance to check him out.

The blonde was easily considered sexy and Percy didn't even bat for the other team. Jason had those strong pronounced cheekbones that all the girls loved, crystal blue eyes that matched the sky (Percy really wasn't trying to sound cliche but that was the best comparison he could come up with, unless you considered the cerulean crayon in the Crayola box.), and a cute little scar above his lip. Basically, Jason was an Abercrombie model without the Abercrombie - he wore Hollister, made obvious by the eagle spreading its wings and probably invisibly shitting all over his white T-shirt.

"Wow, you actually had me swooning there for a moment," Jason said, sarcasm oozing from his voice. Though, in retrospect, he really had meant it. How could he not swoon when there was a flirty and cute green-eyed boy in front of him?

"Oh please, you probably were swooning the moment you saw me." Percy scoffed, rolling his eyes. "What can I say? I'm irresistible."

"Not from the way you were curled up on the floor earlier. I thought you were having cramps or something."

Jason let out a laugh - he seemed to be doing that a lot around this boy - at the sight of Percy feigning hurt, the older boy clutching his heart in mock pain.

"That really stung, Grace."

"Since when did we start addressing each other by last name?" The blonde inquired, genuinely intrigued by this Percy character. He found it baffling how he could change so quickly from panic to pain to teasing him, a hint of a smile playing at his lips.

"Since five minutes ago," Percy answered flippantly and then quickly stuck his head inside his room to check the time on his alarm clock since they were still standing by the doorway where they collided into each other. His green eyes widened as he became aware of the time. It was the beginning of the spring semester and if he didn't get a move on it, he'd be flunking yet another one of his classes. And Percy hated seeing his mother's disappointed face whenever he told her he was failing.

"Shit, I'm almost late for class, gotta go. See you around, Grace." Percy told the blonde with a wink before proceeding to slam the door in Jason's face. He shook his head from inside the room and opened the door again, giving the blonde an apologetic smile. "Where are my manners? Have a good day, Jason!"

And then he shut the door, expecting to shut Jason out of his life as well, but that was all thrown out of the window as Percy sat down in a seat in the back row of his new Latin class, thinking that the bearded teacher in a wheelchair seemed too out of place to even teach at a university when a familiar blonde head strolled into the classroom like freaking Prince Charming and plopped down in the seat next to him.

Now how the hell was Percy supposed to pass this class sitting next to someone like Jason Grace?

* * *

Jason found himself sneaking nervous glances at the black-haired boy sitting beside him, wondering vaguely if he looked like a stalker. Something about this Percy guy made him smile like an idiot and Jason wasn't one to convey his emotions easily, a habit he'd picked up as he got older. Sometimes it was easier to put on a poker face and yet, his poker face was just a face whenever he looked at Percy. And probably a sad face at that.

He knew that Percy was a natural flirt - it was just his personality - but when Jason thought about their earlier conversation, he got butterflies in his stomach and no, he did not have a crush on Percy Jackson and the fact that it was him of all people was bad enough already. The guy could barely think about his ex-girlfriend (or hopefully, ex-boyfriend) without having a panic attack, which meant that he was probably still in love with her (or him), and then, there was the whole '_he might not even be gay_' thing problem and Jason refused to make an ass of himself. He'd rather stick a fork into an electrical outlet than be rejected by Percy Jackson.

Speaking of whom, was currently tapping his pencil on Jason's desk, attempting to attract the blonde's attention. He glanced over at Percy, "What?"

"Have you even been paying attention?" Percy asked incredulously, waving the packet of papers he held in his hands in front of Jason's face.

He ducked his head to hide the blush creeping onto his cheeks. "No?"

Percy made a weird strangled sound and threw his head back, letting out a deep sigh. "Well, Grace, we have to finish this packet that our teacher oh-so-graciously handed out on the first day and have it turned in by the end of class. Oh God, this is like high school all over again. And do you know how much I hated high school, Jason?"

The look Percy was giving him - green eyes narrowed intentionally on him like he expected an answer - made said boy squeak out a shaky, "No."

"It was a rhetorical question, but a lot, my friend," Percy replied, swiftly taking his pencil into his deft hands and tapping it twice against his desk. "Anyways, I figured you'd be better at this Latin stuff than me - you look like you were valedictorian -"

Jason sat up a bit straighter. "I was."

" - so I expect every answer that I copy from you to be correct." Percy finished, giving him a look that meant business.

Jason's mouth fell open. Did Percy really think that he'd just simply let him copy every answer from him? He was cute, but he wasn't _that_ good looking.

"I can't believe you." Jason stated.

Percy frowned, confusion settling on his face. "What?"

"You really expect me to let you copy the answers off of me?"

Percy shrugged. "Well, yeah, I mean - "

"Percy, do you understand how hard I worked my ass off to get here? All those years of honors and AP classes I had to take while you just have it handed to you on a silver platter?" Jason shook his head and gripped his pencil firmly. "No way."

"Oh," Percy's eyes fell to his desk, the corners of his mouth tilting downwards. "It's fine, I guess I'll find someone else to work with... Someone else who smells like Hollister and is really smart and is maybe kind of cute. They shouldn't be that hard to find..." Green eyes quickly darted up to meet blue.

And damn, if Percy though he was cute, maybe Jason should let him copy the answers he'd already hastily written on his paper. But that was it.

Sighing, Jason pointedly looked at Percy, "Okay, but - _hey_!"

In an instant, the green-eyed boy had snatched Jason's papers from his desk, his hand flying across his own papers as he transferred the blonde's answers. Jason tried to reach for his own packet, but Percy saw it coming and blocked his arm, still writing.

Huffing, the blonde sat back in his seat, "Whatever, Jackson, just make sure you paraphrase - "

"I have no idea what that means!"

"Change the words a bit," Jason corrected himself, glaring at the boy beside him. "I don't need the teacher finding out you cheated-"

Percy glanced around the room before whispering pretty loudly to the blonde. "Say it any louder, will you?"

"I mean, this is college, Percy," Jason continued, biting his lip nervously. "The stakes are higher."

"Loosen up a bit, Jay," the black-haired teen smirked at him, his dimples appearing. "I've got this. I'm a pro!"

And then two hands were grabbing both packets off of Percy's desk, Mr. Brunner tssk-ing in disapproval as he observed the work on the papers. "Mr. Jackson, if you're going to be lazy in my class, don't be lazy while you're being lazy. Please write in full sentences."

Jason groaned and glared even harder at the green-eyed boy, who smiled sheepishly at the teacher.

"Sorry, I got a cramp in my hand," Percy flat out lied and despite the fact that Jason was totally against the idea of lying, he found himself laughing beside him.

"And Mr. Grace, next time please don't give your work to another student or more specifically, Percy Jackson," Mr. Brunner called as he rolled his wheelchair down the aisle away from the pair of boys. "Both of you get a zero for the first grade in the gradebook."

Jason probably should've been upset by being caught in the act of cheating, but somehow he found it to okay if that meant that Percy Jackson would keep smiling at him like he was the coolest thing in the world.

"You're a pro alright," Jason said sarcastically as class ended and they were packing up to leave, sneaking a quick look at Percy.

He grinned, running a hand through his 'sex hair' as Jason called it. "Well, I'm a pro at other things." Percy said, slinking around the blonde's shoulders. "Catch ya later, Grace."

Jason stopped breathing for a moment at the contact and was the room tilting? When he finally blinked and overcame his vertigo, Percy had already swung his backpack over his shoulder and was waltzing out of the classroom and wow, he had a nice ass.

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**Don't forget to review, lovelies. Thanks. **

**- Hazel x**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited this story so far. It means a lot, really.**

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Jason gripped the edges of his plastic lunch tray, his electric blue eyes searching the huge cafeteria for his friends. He found them huddled in a table near the Subway booth and sat down next to Piper, who was too busy having some playful argument with the latino boy across from them.

"Jason," Leo said, "please tell her-" he pointed at Piper "-that MTV is more than a channel promoting sex! They have good shows, right?"

Jason shrugged, popping a French fry into his mouth as he put an arm around Piper's shoulders. "I don't know, man. I'm not really into MTV."

"Thank you, Jason!" Piper exclaimed, her kaleidoscope eyes turning a new shade of blue, reflecting Jason's. "Leo doesn't know what real television is."

Leo scoffed, "And what is? Pretty Little Liars?"

Really, Jason didn't understand their love-hate relationship. They were like a married couple, always teasing and annoying each other purposely. Still, Jason knew that they were pretty close, almost like brother and sister. Leo did care about Piper, though – Jason remembered the Latino complaining about the brunette's ex-boyfriend, Dylan, saying that he was a self-absorbed jerk. And then Leo dragged the blonde with him to comfort Piper when they broke up, the three of them watching all of Piper's favorite movies and eating ice cream straight out of the carton. Yeah, they were bad ass like that.

Speaking of asses, the blonde began to think about an ass that belonged to the one and only Percy Jackson. He could already imagine things he'd do to him, grabbing his ass in his hands and -

"Jason."

"Huh?" The blonde raised an eyebrow, turning his head to look at Piper, who was giving him a questioning look.

"Are you okay, dude?" Leo asked, concern written all over his elfin features. "You just totally blanked out. I thought you were going to have a seizure or something."

Jason blushed, shaking his head quickly. "No, I was just thinking about ... someone."

"Awww!" Piper cooed, reaching over to ruffle Jason's hair. He shot her a warning look and desperately tried to fix it before Percy saw him with horrible hair. "Do you want to talk about him? Is he your new boyfriend?"

(Yes, his friends knew he was gay, but that wasn't something Jason mentioned to everyone. It was an insider only his close friends and family knew, and even if he was totally gay, Jason was still wary to let people know. He didn't want people to treat him differently because he liked boys instead of girls.)

"He's not my boyfriend." Jason mumbled, looking down at his tray. Suddenly, his cheeseburger and fries didn't seem so good anymore. He felt nauseous, like if he ate anything, he'd throw up and pass out cold.

Leo noticed the way his best friend's face was turning paler and paler every passing second. He was worried that Jason would turn into a vampire, or worse, have a brain heart attack from lack of blood flow. So he cleared his throat, causing both the blonde and Piper to look at him.

"Hey, bro, if you want to talk about we're listening, okay?" Leo told Jason and Piper nodded.

"Yeah," she said, taking Jason's hand into her own and squeezing it. "If you want to get anything off your chest, we're here."

"Unless it's chest hair," commented the Latino.

Piper shot him a glare. "Shut up, Leo."

Jason sighed, pushing his tray of food in front of him, and suddenly all of the words were tumbling out of his mouth like word vomit. "Okay, so there's this guy, his name is Percy Jackson and he's really cute and he's got sex hair and green eyes like the sea, but I don't know if he's gay or not. I mean, he said he had an ex but he never mentioned if it was a girl or a boy. I just - I don't want to push myself onto him and then have him reject me because he's not into guys. And he's giving me all of these mixed signals that make me so freaking confused and to top it all off, we only met today so it'd kind of be like rushing into things?" Jason looked between his two friends, waiting for a response from either of them.

"Well, it seems like you really like this Percy Jackson kid, so I say go for it," Leo said simply, shrugging. "He can't be that cute anyways. I've never heard of him."

Jason rolled his eyes and turned to Piper. "What about you, Pipes? You're really good at this love and romance stuff."

Piper took a deep breath and folded her hands over the table, about to spill some Dr. Phil shit that was supposed to make Jason feel better. "I think you should wait it out," she she stated matter-of-factly and Jason groaned.

"You're supposed to make me feel better!" he whined, letting his head fall softly against the table in front of him.

"You said yourself it'd be rushing into things! Plus, you should get to know him better. He might have some annoying habit you don't know about that's one of your pet peeves. After all, good things come to those who wait."

"And there's the Dr. Phil shit."

"What?" Piper asked.

"Nothing."

"Hey, guys, Thalia is coming over and she's got some cute guy behind her." Leo warned, pointing over Jason's shoulder. "I think he's a swimmer or something. I've seen him before."

Of course, Jason's curiousity got the better of him and he dared to look over his shoulder to see who this swimmer guy was. He gasped a little as green eyes met blue and the pair approached the table, Thalia sitting next to Leo and the boy plopping down next to Jason, who was rendered speechless.

Thalia grinned and pointed at the boy. "Guys, this is Percy Jackson, the university's swim captain. Percy, this is Leo, Piper and -"

"Jason," he finished for her, sending the blonde a knowing smirk. "Yeah, I met him earlier."

"How do you know Jason?" Thalia questioned, her over protective sister side coming out. "Are you stalking him or something?" Jason let out a silent moan, burying his tomato red face in Piper's shoulder.

Percy shrugged, a care-free grin breaking out on his face as he ran his hand through his hair, trying to tame his wild hair. "We have Latin together."

Before Thalia could continue questioning Percy's motives, Piper's jaw dropped, realization dawning on her. "Wait, you're Percy Jackson?"

Said boy nodded, glancing nervously at the tan-skinned brunette. "Yeah. Should I be worried or flattered that you know of me?" He asked, his tone playful.

Leo stared at him, and then broke out into a grin that made him look like the Chesire cat. "Wow, Jason, Percy is actually cute."

"You talked to them about me?" asked Percy, glancing curiously at the blonde, smiling.

Jason blushed and tried to form coherent words. "Uh, yeah."

And Percy kept staring at Jason, even after the conversation had shifted to something else. He didn't know why, though. Maybe it was the way whenever someone said something funny, the blonde smiled, stretching the scar above his lip in a cute way. Percy didn't know why he thought of Jason as cute because he was pretty sure he was straight - he'd dated several girls before and didn't have to fake anything. Plus, he was still kind of in love with his ex-girlfriend, Annabeth, which was maybe why he found Jason attractive.

Percy totally had a thing for blondes.

"Hey, water boy, don't you have practice in, like, ten minutes?" Thalia asked him, pointing at a clock on a wall in the cafeteria.

Percy groaned. "Shit."

He was really out of his game after Christmas break. He was used to waking up whenever he wanted and not being on schedule. All Percy wanted to do was sleep and play Call of Duty for the rest of his life, but for some reason someone decided you can't make a living playing video games.

"Language," Jason muttered under his breath, causing Percy to send him an amused look.

Percy turned to the rest of the table, slowly getting up from his seat as he grinned, saying, "I apparently have practice in five minutes, so I have to cut this meeting short. Don't miss me too much." And then he left, leaving the other four staring after him.

"His level of confidence is astounding." said Leo.

"Congratulations," Thalia snapped, "you actually sounded smart."

Leo gave her an offended look. "I am smart."

"Whatever." She rolled her blue eyes that were identical to Jason's, which was understandable since they were siblings. "Jason, I'm going to head out. Luke wants to show me something."

Then she got up and left in her usual moodiness. Most people thought she was an A-class bitch when they first met her, but she just had a sarcastic personality and didn't warm up very well to strangers, and that had Jason wondering how Thalia knew Percy. It wasn't really a surprise, though - they're personalities were strikingly similar. If they weren't friends, Jason knew that they would've probably hated each other's guts.

"And then were three," muttered Piper.

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**Don't forget to review because I love hearing what you guys think about the story.**

**Also, one of the reviews were asking how this is Jercy and Percabeth. It's both because it has slight Percabeth due to the fact that Percy is still in love with Annabeth and she shows up unannounced and there's the Jercy thing so yeah. That's why it's kind of both.**

**Stay awesome**

**- Hazel x**

**(P.S. Hazel is just my pen name, not my real name. It's such a pretty name and also the Fault in Our Stars aka perfection asdfghjkl )**


	3. Chapter 3

All throughout swim practice, Percy was distracted by his thoughts of blue eyes and blonde hair. He didn't know why he couldn't get his mind off of Jason. It frustrated him to no end because he really wasn't looking for a relationship. Really.

Percy submerged himself underwater, hoping to cleanse his thoughts as he raced against the boy next him. The boy was fast, though he wasn't as fast as him. Percy Jackson had the record time for the fastest swimmer in the state of New York for the year - 43.72 for the 100 yard breast stroke. Not that he was bragging or anything. (He was, by the way.)

Reaching forward, Percy's fingers brushed against the concrete wall of the pool and he heard the click of stopwatch from above. He broke the surface of the water as he looked up at his coach expectantly, waiting to hear his results. Coach Hedge had a frown on his face and Percy was fully prepared to get yelled at.

Coach Hedge was a middle aged man with a permanent scowl on his face, always wearing a baseball cap and carrying a bat. Sometimes Percy wondered if he got the memo that he was the varsity swim coach, not the varsity baseball coach. It was probably why he hated his job so much. Honestly, Hedge had only gotten the gig as a last resort. At the end of Percy's sophomore year, the previous coach had gotten an invitation to prepare Michael Phelps - yes, _the_ Michael Phelps - for the 2016 Olympics and abandoned the school and its sixteen year winning streak, leaving Coach Hedge in charge of the swim team.

The only problem?

Coach Hedge was a horrible swim coach.

"Where is your head at, cupcake?" Coach Hedge yelled, making Percy flinch a little. "This is the slowest time you've had all season, Jackson. Get your head out of your ass and get those arms pumping. Let's go!" He blew the whistle hanging around his neck so hard, his face turned a bright shade of pink.

The whole swim team groaned, knowing that whenever Coach was mad at Percy, they all suffered. The green-eyed boy just clenched his jaw and prepared for fifty more laps. He was pretty sure Hedge wasn't even qualified to be a swim coach and that sucked because with him as their best swimmer, they could make first place at state championships. The team just wasn't working on their weak links, which left room for other colleges and universities to beat them.

As they finished up their laps, Percy called them over to gather in a circle around him. He gave them a look that meant business and prepared to give a speech worthy of Martin Luther King Jr. about effort, perseverance, and whatnot. But all of that was thrown out the window as he saw the dejected look on their faces.

"Okay, guys, so I know we're not exactly in the best shape right now with Hedge as our coach," Percy told them, giving everyone a stern look, "but his coaching only goes so far. You have to wants this, because if you don't, you'll never get anywhere. We have to act like every practice is championships." Percy sighed and ran a hand through his wet hair. "As your captain, it's my responsibility to make sure you guys are prepared to win, so just... do your bests, okay?"

There were a chorus of yeses and Percy smiled. "Practice is over. Go home!" And then there was a stampede of soaking wet boys rushing to have first dibs on the hot water in the shower.

Percy lagged behind, looking down at the water in the pool below. He could see his reflection in it - black hair, sea green eyes - a spitting image of his father, one of Olympus University's best swimmer in history and part of the Big Three, the nickname three MVP's in swim, football, and soccer had earned when each team won championships during the same year. Sometimes it felt like a curse, Percy having to have a reputation as good as his dad's, knowing that he could never live up to it. Even being captain wasn't good enough for his father, and Percy was too old now to have a temper tantrum and refuse to continue living up to the Jackson name.

"Good speech out there, cupcake," Coach Hedge said. Percy looked over and shot him a look, but softened after a second.

"Thanks, Coach." He replied, saying an awkward goodbye before he said something he regretted to the Coach. Percy really did not feel like getting hit on the head with a wooden baseball bat.

"Hey, Perce!" Someone called as Percy walked into the locker room. He looked over his shoulder and saw two identical looking boys with curly brown hair walking towards him, wearing the same matching mischievous grins. Percy recognized as Travis and Connor Stoll, brothers who were both on the track team.

Percy hung his white towel over his shoulders, nodding at them. "What's up?" The taller one - Travis - slung his arms around Percy's shoulders, "You, my man, are cordially invited to our party tonight!"

"Drinks will be provided, of course," added Connor. "It's gonna be the party of the year!"

Percy bit his lip, knowing that he'd never hear the end of it from his best friends, Grover and Rachel - "_You need to be more responsible, Percy! It's a school night!_" - but then the little devil version of him on his shoulder whispered into his ear, _go_.

"Sure," Percy said slowly, "but it's a school night, so I'll have to lay off a bit on the drinks."

"Since when have school nights ever stopped you?" Travis smirked, leaning in close to his face. "I heard last year that you got so drunk, you gave everyone at the party a strip tease."

Percy's face turned the darkest shade of red, remembering him standing on a dining room table with his clothes laying on the floor and people staring curiously. "Oh my God, I thought everyone forgot about that! It was the embarrassing moment of my life."

"I might've done a throwback Thursday on Instagram of that one pic of you with your hand on your c-" Percy quickly slapped a hand over Connor's mouth when he saw Jason enter the locker room in nothing but those tight football pants, the ones that made any guy seem like they had an ass. Jason, however, had an ass with or without the pants, but Percy didn't dare say that to anyone. _Ever_.

The blonde's eyes found Percy's and he waved, making the green-eyed boy's heart beat faster. Before he could say a quick '_hey_', Jason was already gone around a corner.

"Dude!" Connor whined, glaring at him. "What was that for?"

"You, uh, had a mosquito on your lip," Percy lied, "but it's gone now! Alright, bye!" He attempted to make a swift exit, but Travis easily grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him back. Hey, he was on the swim team, not the track team!

"If you're wondering if Jason's going to be at the party, he is," Travis informed him.

Connor nodded, "Perks of being in sports, the parties and girls."

Percy scoffed. "I don't care if he's at the party or not. Just make sure you have some vodka," he said before walking off.

"What about it being a school night?" Connor called after him.

Percy simply flipped them off over his shoulder.

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**The end of this chapter was pretty fun to write, haha. I love Travis and Connor and imagine how hot a soaking wet Percy would be, omg. **

**Anyways, don't forget to follow, favorite, review or whatever floats your boat. I like seeing a whole lot of support since this is my first story ever written in third person, which if it sucks, is why. **

**Thanks! **

**- Hazel x**


	4. Chapter 4

By the time Jason had arrived at the party with Thalia in tow, it was already in full-swing. Red solo cups littered the floors of the Stoll's house - which Jason was pretty sure they'd broken into since a foreclosed sign was stuck in the grass on the lawn and there was a broken window on the side of the house. Smooth, boys - and the music was so loud Jason could barely think.

"Do you want a -" He turned to Thalia, but she was already gone, probably going off to find where the drinks were being kept, always a step ahead as usual.

That left Jason leaning against the wall, searching the crowd of sweaty bodies grinding against each other for a familiar face. Or maybe just a cute one...

From across the room, Percy had a close eye on the blonde boy leaning against the wall, a cup of vodka in his hand. He watched as a brunette girl walked over to Jason, handed him a drink, and then started to flirt with him. The blonde didn't seem to notice the girl's interior motives, but Percy definitely did because c'mon, it was obvious. She had a hand pressed firmly against Jason's bicep and flipped her hair over her shoulder with her other hand, throwing her head back in laughter.

Percy didn't understand why Jason wasn't flirting back. The girl was pretty well endowed - her boobs were at least a C cup and she had a nice ass. In other words, she was undeniably hot.

Something stirred in the pit of Percy's stomach, and he glared and clenched his jaw in - what? Jealousy? Pssh, Percy Jackson wasn't jealous of anyone, not even the girl who was flirting with Jason and his godly cheek bones. As he watched the two interact, he clenched his fist, not even aware of the crushed cup in his hand.

Of course, Jason chose that exact moment to look across the room at Percy, his eyebrows raising up in a way that said '_please save me before I kill myself_.' Percy knew that look very well from when he'd come to parties back in the day with Rachel while he was still dating Annabeth, sending that look to his red-headed best friend whenever he'd attracted the unwanted attention of a girl that wasn't the blonde he had been dating.

So being the great friend he was, Percy sauntered over to Jason and wrapped his hand around the blonde's wrist and pulled him away to the couch, effectively ending the conversation between him and the girl.

"Thanks," Jason said, sending Percy a greatful look.

"What are friends for?" He responded, his body relaxing into the couch that seemed like it was made from clouds. Really, it was ridiculously soft and Percy just wanted to close his eyes and bounce up and down.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked, clearly concerned about the mental well-being of his friend.

The green-eyed boy hummed and wrapped his arms around Jason, resting his head on the blonde's shoulder. He'd had way too many drinks by then to remember what personal space was and that he was totally invading Jason's. Black hair falling into his eyes, Percy slurred out, "Why weren't you flirting with that girl back there? Is Piper your girlfriend?"

Jason almost spit out the drink he was drinking, causing him to choke. He could understand why Percy thought they were dating - when Jason and Piper were around each other, they were always quite handsy, but then there was the fact that he was positively _gay_.

Spluttering, he raised an eyebrow at Percy. All he could manage was a tiny, "Oh my god."

"What?" The green-eyed boy said, turning his head so that his breath sent chills down Jason's spine. The blonde drew in a sharp breath, his stomach feeling insanely light. "So you're not dating, then?"

"No, we're just best friends."

"Good," Percy murmured, "now you're all mine."

Too cliché maybe, but Percy was drunk and could give a rat's ass about how much he sounded like he belonged in one of his mother's sappy Hallmark channel movie.

He pressed his lips softly against the skin on the blonde's neck, traveling upwards. He kissed along Jason's heavenly jawline as the younger boy let out a breathy moan, instantly wanting more, but he knew Percy was drunk. Jason didn't want their first kiss to be because of clouded judgement and a cup of vodka. Call him a romantic, but he wanted their kiss to be meaningful, so he followed his brain instead of his heart. Or something else that was in his nether regions.

"Percy, you're drunk." Jason shoved the green-eyed boy off of him.

A hurt look crossed Percy's face as he pulled away, "You don't want me, Annabeth?"

Jason frowned, confused. He had no idea who Annabeth was or why Percy was calling him a girl's name. Last time Jason had checked, he definitely had balls.

"Who's Annabeth?" He asked lowly, the music almost completely drowning him out, and he was surprised the green-eyed boy could even hear him.

"You're Annabeth, my ex-girlfriend," Percy replied, blinking slowly.

And then Jason may or may not have hyperventilated. His breaths grew shorter and shallower as the room started to sway. Okay, maybe he shouldn't have drank whatever was in that cup that the brunette had given him because he was pretty sure he shouldn't feel like he was on a tilt-a-whirl. So what if the guy he liked thought he was his ex-girlfriend while he was drunk? The world wasn't going to end.

Yet, he hadn't checked the world news before he left his dorm, but that could always be done later. Jason had more important matters at hand, like making sure Percy Jackson didn't try to stick his hands down his pants and figure out for himself that no, he indeed was not a girl.

"I-I think we should go," Jason said, gathering the green-eyed boy into his arms as he stood up. "You're way too drunk to stay here or drive, so I'm taking you back to campus. We'll pick up your car in the morning." If it's still here, he mentally added, remembering that the house might be a crime scene once the Stolls and the rest of the jocks were through with it.

As they wandered through the house, trying to find Thalia, Jason had to intertwine his fingers with Percy's in order to keep the boy by his side. Unfortunately for the blonde, Percy was a touchy drunk.

Finally the blonde caught sight of his raven-haired sister, who was chatting with some of her friends, which included the infamous and star quarterback of Olympus University, Luke Castellan. Jason knew Luke from football and had no problem dragging Thalia away from him.

"Hey, Thals, I'm taking Percy back to school. He's completely -"

"Shit-faced? Yeah, I noticed." Thalia sipped from her red solo cup and raised an eyebrow as she watched her brother suffer at the hands of a drunk Percy. She seemed amused by the whole situation, laughing as the older boy groped Jason's ass. "Don't enjoy him too much, though!"

He groaned, "Trust me, I won't."

"Jason, we all know that you enjoy sucking dicks, don't be ashamed! Take advantage of the situation." From the way Thalia's eyes were bloodshot, Jason declared her drunk as well. Was he the only one halfway sober? Or not, he thought as he clung onto Percy as the room swayed again.

"So are you catching a ride with Luke or what?" He questioned her once his vertigo had passed.

"Yeah, I guess," she shrugged, "just take Jackson home and try to make it to football practice tomorrow in one piece."

It took a few moments to register what Thalia was talking about but when he did, Jason wasn't sure if he was embarrassed that his sister might have caught on to his crush or angry that she thought he would bottom. Because Jason was so not one to bottom.

"Whatever." He mumbled after watching his sister's retreating form. Jason settled his gaze on Percy, "Okay, we're leaving now."

"But I wanna _staaaaaaay_," Percy whined in his ear, sounding very much like a five-year-old having a temper tantrum. "I didn't even get to dance!"

Jason's eyes widened. "Do you remember the last time you danced while you were drunk? You did a strip tease."

Suddenly, Percy had him pressed up against the wall, holding Jason's hands firmly above his head. He brought his face dangerously close to the blonde's, so close Jason could clearly see the way his eyelashes fanned out against his cheeks in the most angelic way. And of course, Jason's little friend chose that moment to make an unwelcomed appearance.

Uh.

Percy kissed the shell of Jason's ear and asked, "Do you want me to give you a strip tease?"

Was this a trick question? Jason had to be getting punked. He looked around for Ashton Kutcher, expecting for him to come out and yell, "_Gotcha_!"

"No," Jason responded, not wanting to let Percy have the upper hand. "Now let's go." He pushed the boy off of him and dragged Percy to his car - an all black Mercedes with gold detailing because his father refused to drive around in anything that wasn't ridiculously flamboyant.

On the drive back to campus, Jason had to listen to Percy spew irrelevant thoughts and sing horribly off-key to every song that played on the radio as he drove. He eventually just ended up shutting off the radio, feeling very much like he was babysitting the older boy, but it was okay because Percy made anything look adorably cute, even with his face smashed against the window and drooling. Jason just wanted to cuddle him but that thought was discarded as the twinkling lights of Olympus came into view.

"Percy." Jason called, giving said boy a gentle shake.

The green-eyed boy raised an eyebrow and softly hummed.

"We're at school."

"Oh," he yawned cutely and gave the blonde an innocent smile.

Jason felt himself grinning back before he realized that he should probably take Percy to his dorm before they were found by a dean and suspended for being drunk on school campus. That was something he didn't need on his perfect record. Imagine: A-plus student, a starter for the football team, and oh, caught drunk on campus. Yeah, no.

So Jason threw Percy over his shoulder and carried him to the boys' dorm, a large building made of stone with a very Ancient Greek vibe to it. It was directly across from the girls' dorm that had an uncanny resemblance to it. Really, the whole school was based off of Ancient Greek architecture, hence the name Olympus University. All the school was missing were the statues of the Greek gods and goddesses, but that would be creepy to have marble eyes watching you as you walked across the courtyard.

"Where's your key?" Jason asked Percy once they reached his room.

The green-eyed boy muttered something incoherent under his breath, and Jason sighed, knowing he'd have to do the inevitable. He was forced to feel Percy up by pressing the flat of his palm against his ass, fumbling for the keys as he pulled them out of the older boy's back pocket, trying not to touch him more than he needed to. Unlocking the door, Jason pulled Percy into the room and observed his surroundings.

It was clean for the most part, save a couple of jeans or shirts thrown across the room, not that Jason was surprised. Percy didn't seem to be the type to be worried about things like keeping his room clean. Books were haphazardly scattered across a desk in the corner of the room, papers covering everything else. On the walls, there were more than a dozen gold medallions and trophies hanging on a wall - all from swimming.

Then, Jason caught on to all of the awards and trinkets. He was holding Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, the greatest swimmer in Olympus University history, in his arms. And it didn't make it any better that he was Jason Grace, son of Zeus, pretty much the football god of Olympus. Yeah, he was screwed if his dad found out about this - his father was always going on and on about how swimming was a girl sport and Poseidon was a wuss and - yeah, you get the point. Jason made a mental note to talk to Percy about their father's later.

Meanwhile, he placed the green-eyed boy on the bed, turning around to leave when fingers laced with his, pulling him back. He looked over his shoulder to see Percy laying there, green eyes pleading and black hair sticking up in every which way.

"Stay with me?" Percy begged, his voice soft and careful.

Jason searched his eyes for a hint of something - lust, maybe? - and found none. He was probably about to make the biggest mistake in his life, but it was Percy Jackson asking him to lay in bed with him. Sighing, Jason ran a hand through his blonde hair and said, "If you want. I-I don't -"

"It's okay, Jay, I want you to."

In the moments Jason's mind went fuzzy, Percy had already pulled the blonde onto the bed, their bodies fused together in a way that made Jason's heart beat so loud he could hear it in his ears. Was he nervous? Hell yeah, he didn't want to do anything he'd regret, like kissing Percy, for instance. It would be so easy to do it, too. The green-eyed boy had his head tilted up to look at Jason since he was an inch or two taller and all the blonde had to do was lean down and press their lips softly together and -

"Jason," Percy whispered and the blonde hummed in response, keeping his eyes closed so he didn't have to look him in the eye.

"_Jason_," Percy said again, more persistent, as his fingers tangled in the baby hairs on the nape of Jason's neck. The blonde's eyes flew open at the touch, an involuntary gasp escaping past his lips.

"Yeah?"

"I didn't mean to call you Annabeth," he told the blonde and then his breath shallowed, signalling that he had fallen asleep.

Jason let out the breath he didn't even know he was holding and let himself fully relax against the older boy's body. Really, he shouldn't have been as nervous as he was, Percy was drunk and probably wouldn't remember any of this in the morning, much less the fact that he'd almost gave Jason a strip tease back at the party.

He cursed himself from being a little aroused in such close quarters to Percy, but damn, a strip tease. If that happened for real, Jason was sure he'd rip off the rest of Percy's clothes as soon as his shirt came off and then it wouldn't be strip tease at all. More like rape.

Closing his eyes, it took Jason about twenty minutes to fall asleep, his limbs tangled with Percy's.


	5. Chapter 5

Sunlight streamed through blue curtains, directly hitting Percy's face. Groaning and cursing the Stolls for inviting him to that stupid party the night before, he opened his eyes to be met with Jason's face so close to his, he could see the freckles dotting the bridge of the blonde's nose like constellations.

Wait, why was he comparing Jason's freckles to stars? Or better yet, why was the blonde laying in his bed?

Percy thought back to last night's party. He remembered pretty drinking all of the vodka the Stoll brothers had available. He remembered seeing Jason with a hot brunette and then stealing him away from her to lead him to the couch. What he did not remember was everything that happened after that. His eyes widened and oh my God, did they -

Percy lifted up the blanket covering them and let out a sigh of relief. They were still fully clothed, but there was still a nagging voice in his head saying, "_Did you wish you guys had_?" And at first Percy thought no, and then he kept thinking about it and he wasn't so sure then.

Laying back against the bed, Percy turned his head to face Jason. He observed the blonde is his sleep, noticing that he looked more peaceful in his sleep, his full pink lips parted and inviting Percy to kiss them. He found himself tilting his head forward as if he was in a trance, his lips brushing against the blonde's in a chaste kiss.

Of course, Percy knew what he was doing was wrong, but he was known for making stupid decisions. Like that one time he'd decided to go out and get a nose piercing and then totally regretted it once the guy had finished the job (he stopped wearing the piercing a month later and the hole closed, which defeated the point of getting a piercing in the first place.) Or the time he'd went skinny-dipping in the courtyard's fountain after being dared to and then was caught by a dean. Or the time - well, you get the point.

Percy was stupid.

So he wasn't all too surprised when the blonde's eyes flew open just as he was pulling away.

Jason stared wide-eyed and in shock at Percy, while the green-eyed boy kept his eyes on the ceiling, mentally willing it to collapse on him so that he wouldn't have to admit to what he'd been doing a second before because no, he was too prideful to stoop that low. Percy Jackson never admitted anything, even if he was wrong and out of place. Which he was in the current situation.

The blonde opened and closed his mouth several times before he asked in a calm voice, "What were you doing, Jackson?" Though, they both knew the answer.

"I thought I saw something on your lips..," Percy trailed off, peering at Jason out of the corner of his eye to see if he was buying into his lame ass excuse. He wasn't.

"So you kissed me?"

"Uh, yeah?"

Jason gave him a look that had him one word away from admitting to everything. He glanced at the door, calculating how long it'd take for him to reach it and bolt out of the room like... well, Usain Bolt.

"Percy - "

And with a punch to Jason's balls, Percy had launched himself across the bed and was darting towards the door in such a way that he doubted his choice in choosing swimming as his sport. (He could run pretty fast in desperate situations.) Percy shoved several guys out of his way, clutching his head as they yelled obscene words at him because he had a huge hangover, which he was now hyperaware of, and rushed into the bathroom. He dove into a stall and locked it.

"Shit," he cursed once he realized he was probably the dumbest person in the world right now.

Why, you ask?

Because:

A) He was now hiding in the girls' bathroom. (How else would you explain the heels he could see peeking out from under the door?)

B) His first class was starting in approximately, eh, two minutes and in said class, he sat next to a blonde named Jason Grace. (His luck was really running low.)

And C) He was still wearing his clothes from the previous night, which meant he'd have to go back in his dorm room to change and face Jason and that was so not an option.

Oh, and did he mention that he was seriously questioning his sexuality right now?

So he did the only logical thing he could do at the moment - he pulled out his phone and dialed Rachel Elizabeth Dare and willed her to answer the damn phone before he horribly screwed up his life some more.

"Percy?" A girl's voice echoed in his ear and he'd never been so glad to hear her voice in his life.

"Rach, I screwed up," he stated.

Percy could imagine her throw her head back in laughter, flaming curls flying everywhere as she snorted. "That's generally what you do on a daily basis."

"No, like I really screwed up," he replied, glancing down at his feet that were only covered in socks. Great. He ran a hand through his hair agitatedly, messing it up more in the process.

"What happened, Jackson? And don't lie to me because you're a horrible liar."

And then Percy explained the whole Jason situation, telling her about meeting the blonde boy, the party, and then waking up next to him and doing, well, something inappropriate and ending up in the girl's bathroom. He really hoped no one was listening outside his stall because what he was saying would make great school gossip.

"Stop laughing at me," Percy whined, his face turning red from embarrassment even though she couldn't see him. "It's not even funny."

"You're right, it's not funny. It's freaking hilarious," Rachel giggled. "Alright, I'm on my way over."

And then Percy was confined to the stall for about ten minutes while he waited for his red-headed friend to arrive, leaving him alone with his wandering thoughts. He was desperately trying not to think about Jason - why was it always blondes? - and resorted to playing Flappy Bird to pass the time. What? He had an extreme case of ADHD, did you expect him to just stand there awkwardly?

Yeah, that's what he thought.

"Percy?"

"Rachel!" He opened the door and had never been so glad to see Rachel in his life. He instantly wrapped his arms around her in a hug, smelling her strawberry shampoo.

She pulled away, pushing back the floral headband that kept her curls out of her face and due to their height difference, smirked up at Percy knowingly. "Since you're avoiding your room because of - "

"Don't say it!" He held his hands up.

" - him, you can chill out in mine until you're class is over." Rachel grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him out of the bathroom, earning a couple of curious stares from onlookers. Several guys gave Percy a thumbs up and he would've smirked back, but he was too preoccupied with trying to keep up with the red head.

She continued talking, crossing the courtyard to the girls' dorm, "I've got some of your clothes left from the last time you spent the night, really, you're always forgetting things in my room, and why do smell like vodka?"

Percy almost lied, but obviously not telling the truth wasn't working out for him today, so after mentally preparing himself to get reprimanded, he said, "I went to a party."

"Really?" Rachel sent him a look as she stopped in front of the door to her dorm room. "You know you're not supposed to be drinking, Percy. Remember that promise that we made about your stepfather - "

"I'm not going to turn out like Gabe," he growled, glaring at the red-headed girl who had the same fierce look on her face.

Then, Percy's features softened as he fell back against the wall, sliding down to rest against the floor. He rested his head in his hands and felt his body begin to shake as his vision became fuzzier and fuzzier. Crap, he was crying. Percy sniffled, wiping his nose against the sleeve of his hoodie.

"I'm just so confused, Rach," he confessed to her. "It's like - like everything is falling apart, you know? Annabeth breaks up with me, the swim team is absolute shit and I'm the one pulling most of the weight, and then I kiss a freakin' guy. I'm not even gay!"

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest, looking down on him - both literally and figuratively. Honestly, she did feel bad for Percy. She could tell he was conflicted from the way he kept running his hands through his hair in agitation and his continuous ranting.

So being the bestest best friend in the world that she was, Rachel kneeled next to Percy and put on her most genuine smile, which now that she probably thought about it, it must've seemed really fake.

"How about we watch Finding Nemo and I'll bake some cookies and then we can have a one-on-one about all of your problems?" She offered.

Percy perked up at that, eyebrows raised curiously. "Blue chocolate chip cookies?"

Rachel scoffed, "What else did you expect, Jackson?"

He grinned mischievously. Did he ever mention that Rachel was pretty much the best friend in the world?

* * *

**btw, don't forget to review! I hate saying that, but I like knowing what your opinions are, like for example, if I need to improve on anyone's character, what you want to see happen, etc . I like knowing how I can better my writing and also, I haven't read past SoN - I know, I know, it's horrible - but I want to make sure their personalities are as close to the books as possible, even if this story is in an alternate universe.**

**So yeah, review! :)**

**Thank youuuu **

**- Hazel x**


	6. Chapter 6

Jason sat in his Latin class, eyes trained on the classroom door, waiting for the boy that occupied the empty chair next to him to barge in with his lop-sided grin and stupidly green eyes. Glancing at the clock, he noticed that there was only five minutes left in class - a sure sign that Percy wasn't coming.

Jason wondered - _no, he knew_ - that it had to do with the kiss that they shared earlier that morning. Right after it happened, Percy had ran out of the room, looking as if kissing Jason was the worst thing that he could've done in his life. He knew that Percy regretted it the second after it happened and Jason wasn't sure if it was because of him or not.

Sure, maybe his shocked reaction could've scared Percy off, but how else was he supposed to react? He woke up being kissed on the lips by the guy he was pretty sure was gay! (Or bisexual? Jason wasn't even sure anymore.)

Anyways, Percy probably didn't even think when he was kissing him, since he was in the stage between being seriously drunk and having a killer hangover. Jason remembered reading somewhere that the lines were blurred when people were intoxicated and they often didn't know the difference between right and wrong. And that was the problem Jason was having - he didn't know if what Percy did was right or wrong.

Yeah, Jason had had an attraction to the green-eyed boy the moment he'd saw him, but there was so many things that were wrong in the situation. One, Percy was still in love with his ex-girlfriend, Annabeth; two, their fathers had that whole rivalry thing going on; and three, Jason wasn't ready for a new relationship, or any relationship.

He had his education and football to focus on at the moment. Scouts from professional football teams were watching him now that he was a sophomore and even though he was great at football, he still wanted a career to fall back on just in case something happened. And with having to juggle his schooling, sports, and a boyfriend, that would definitely be too much on his plate. Plus, Percy was captain of the swim team - surely he had better things to do then date a blonde-haired blue-eyed football player.

"Jason," a voice called, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Jason shook his head and raised his eyebrows. "Hmm?" He asked, looking at Mr. Brunner, who sat at the front of the classroom with a smirk on his face.

"You must be in deep thought about something, Mr. Grace," he commented, waggling his finger at the blonde.

"Why would you say that?"

"You haven't taken any notes during the duration of this class and you fail to notice that you're the only one in the room," Mr. Brunner chuckled softly, pointing at the clock that hung above the doorway. "Class is already over."

Jason felt himself blushing as he looked around the room, finally noticing that all of the desks around him were empty, the only evidence that they'd ever been occupied in the first place being the stray pieces of paper left on the desk tops. He looked back at his Latin teacher, suddenly feeling foolish for not realizing that the class had ended about ten minutes ago.

"I'm sorry," Jason apologized, the words falling from his lips before he could think about it. "I didn't realize that it was so late."

Mr. Brunner held his hand up, silencing the blonde. "Don't apologize, _parva leves capiunt animas_."

Jason frowned, mentally trying to translate the words to English in his mind. And then he smiled a bit when it clicked and said, "Small things occupy light minds."

"I've taught you well, my boy!" The older man laughed, pushing his wheelchair towards his desk and grabbing his briefcase. He set it down in his lap, "As much I'd love to chit-chat with you, Mr. Grace, I've got to be heading out. I expect to see you in class tomorrow?"

Jason gathered his belongings together and rushed to help his teacher with the door, holding it open like a true gentleman. "Of course, I can't risk missing any of my classes."

Mr. Brunner rolled past him, saying, "Oh how I wish you would rub off on Mr. Jackson. Speaking of him, do you mind informing him that my class is equally as important as his swimming? I'm afraid that his priorities are elsewhere."

Jason found himself slightly tensing up at the mention of the green-eyed boy and Mr. Brunner was quick to notice, but said nothing, instead settling for sending the young blonde an expectant look. Jason ran a hand through his hair, softly cursing under his breath. He didn't want to have to face Percy any time soon, but once he made a promise, he never broke that promise, and that was his teacher wanted him to do - promise to talk to Percy about missing his class.

"I, uh, suppose I can talk to Percy," Jason stuttered out.

"Good, because here he comes."

He looked up to see a certain black-haired teen strolling towards him, hands deep in his pockets and a dejected look on his face as his eyes met his. Jason momentarily panicked, turning to face his teacher and prepared to say _no, he can't talk to Percy_, but Mr. Brunner was already gone.

"Hey."

He looked up into green eyes as deep as the ocean and responded with a lame, "Hi."

Percy's hand went up to tug at the blue beanie that was covering his hair, a few strands peaking out underneath as if they were trying to escape. Jason could tell that he was uncomfortable and he didn't blame him. Honestly, he felt like running, too.

"Look," Percy started, biting his lip, "can we just ignore what happened earlier? I mean, I know that it was totally out of hand and you're probably disgusted in me and - "

"I'm not disgusted in you," Jason quickly said, shaking his head a little harder than necessary. "If you feel that way, it's fine. I'm not going to judge you or anything."

"That's the thing! I _don't_ feel that way."

Ouch.

Jason felt like he was being stabbed straight in the heart. He might've said that he didn't want a relationship, but he still wanted Percy to like him as much as he liked him.

He tried not to appear too hurt by Percy's words, nodding and muttering, "Yeah, I get what you're saying..."

"We can still be friends, though, right?" Percy asked hopefully, taking a step towards the blonde. A smile was now on his face, green eyes sparkling and Jason just couldn't say no to that face.

"Yeah, friends," he agreed.

And then he was enveloped in a big hug, the scent of coconut and the beach overwhelming him as he rested his chin on Percy's shoulder. He closed his eyes and tried to remember the feeling of the green-eyed boy's arms wrapped around him comfortingly, but the embrace was over too quickly, with Percy pulling away.

_Absolutely friend-zoned_, Jason thought as he watched Percy leave without even a look over his shoulder.


	7. Chapter 7

**(Sorry guys, but this isn't really an update. I went ahead and separated the old chapter six into two chapters**.**Sorry if you thought this was an update.)**

* * *

"Remind me why I'm doing this again," said Jason, looking around the dark and empty courtyard. It was so early in the morning that the sun wasn't even out yet.

Percy sent him a look, his grip tightening around the collars of the two goats he was holding onto. No one even bothered to question where exactly he'd gotten the animals. "Because, Luke said he could pull off a better prank than me, which is totally not true. Right, Leo?"

"Definitely," the Latino boy said, "but does it still count as _your_ prank if Jason and I are helping you?"

"Shut up, Leo."

"But you just asked - "

The glare that Percy sent Leo instantly shut him up and he settled for fiddling with the binoculars that were in his hands. His job was the lookout, which required him to be absolutely still and quiet, two things that Leo couldn't be even if he tried. He suspected that Percy just wanted to be with Jason, since the blonde was going to help him release the goats, cover his back, et cetera, et cetera.

And Leo might play stupid, but he was a lot smarter than he let on. He didn't miss the looks Percy sent Jason when he wasn't looking or the redness of his face whenever the blonde touched his arm or any other part of his body. (Ew, not like that, you dirty-minded person.)

It was obvious that Percy had some deeper feelings toward Jason, but was too stubborn to admit it. And Leo was determined to get the two together because he was really getting tired of hearing his best friend complain about the green-eyed boy. Plus, he'd rack up some serious best friend points.

"So when are we going to actually start?" Jason asked Percy, electric blue eyes shining even in the darkness.

"Now, I guess," the green-eyed boy murmured, but made no move to leave.

Leo rolled his eyes and shoved both of the boys out from behind the bush they were hiding behind.

"Have fun with your boyfriend, Jason!" He called out, laughing at the blonde's horrified expression.

* * *

Jason was seriously thinking about murdering his best friend and leaving him buried in a field somewhere in the middle of Nebraska.

About two months ago, him and Percy had made that agreement to stay strictly friends and even though they had grown closer, they shared nothing more than insignificant touches and laughs. Jason had managed to keep his feelings towards Percy locked up until tonight - or more specifically, until Leo had called the green-eyed boy his boyfriend, which he definitely wasn't, much to his disappointment.

And now Jason was super nervous being in such close contact with Percy. His heart was beating a mile a minute, his hands were growing clammy with sweat, and he was pretty sure his face was completely red from utter embarrassment.

Percy simply raised his eyebrows at Jason, a small smirk evident on his lips. "Really? Boyfriend? I thought Leo would be able to come up with better insults by now." He laughed.

"I know right," Jason replied, clearing his throat, eager to change the subject. "So where are we going to release them?"

"I was thinking about putting number one on the football field and number three somewhere near building eleven - y'know, so the dean would think the culinary majors ordered the wrong kind of goat or something."

Jason let out a loud and totally unrestricted laugh and Percy stared at him amusedly. It was the first time he'd ever heard the blonde laugh like that. Most of the time when Jason found something remotely funny, he'd either smile or chuckle softly, but he'd never _LOL_'ed before.

"What?" he asked and the blonde simply shook his head.

"You should put number three in the girl's dorm building," he said, pointing at the large stone building to their right. "I mean, imagine how funny it'll be when they wake up and find a goat in the hallway."

"Since when did you get better than me at pranking, Grace?" Percy said, playfully bumping his shoulder against the blonde's.

"Probably from hanging around you too much. You're a devil child."

"I am not!" Percy shouted, laughing. "Just because I get into a lot of accidents doesn't mean I'm evil."

Jason raised his eyebrows. "Oh, really? Because I'm pretty sure putting blue dye into Connor's hair gel wasn't an '_accident_'." He made little air quotes when he said the word accident just to prove his point.

"Actually, it was, I meant to put it in Travis's hair gel." Percy smirked smugly.

"Oh my God, you're so stupid," Jason said as they approached the girls' dorm building and they both stepped the foyer, a large room that resembled something like a hotel lobby with a intricate glass chandelier hanging above their heads and fancy furniture. It was a lot fancier then the boys' but hey, they were girls. They liked for everything to be over the top.

"And that's exactly why you love me." Percy brushed past him, walking towards the elevator.

Jason almost tripped over his feet in shock at the older boy's words, fully prepared to land face-first in the plush carpet underneath his feet. And then he realized that Percy was only joking.

"Whatever," he scoffed, rolling his eyes, but his cheeks proved otherwise. This was _so_ not a whatever.

Percy punched the little glowing arrow that pointed upwards and the elevator doors whooshed open, revealing an empty chamber. He let out a maniacal laugh, earning himself a raised eyebrow from Jason, as he ushered one of the goats into the small space, the animal letting out a loud '_baaah_.'

"One goat out of the way," Percy announced, literally skipping out of the building, leaving Jason to scramble after him into the cool night air.

"You're crazy," Jason said, finally hit with the severity of what they were doing. "Imagine how much trouble we can get in. There's cameras everywhere watching us."

Percy sighed and draped an arm around Jason's shoulder. "Dude, don't worry. I had Leo hack into the security system and disable the cameras earlier and I'm a pro at this, remember?"

"That's what you said before you got caught cheating off my paper," Jason mumbled, handing the green-eyed boy the key to the gate around the football field. Percy unlocked it and let the goat loose go onto the field.

"Well, this time, it's different. Trust me," said Percy, locking the door back before turning to face the blonde.

"Yeah, right."

Percy dropped his arm down from Jason's shoulder so that he was now holding his hand. He stepped closer to the blonde, so close that their chests were almost touching and he could hear Jason's heart beating rapidly.

"What would get you to trust me on this?" the green-eyed boy asked, squeezing the blonde's hand gently. "A kiss?" he offered.

Was Jason dreaming? He had to be dreaming. Percy was offering to kiss him while he wasn't drunk. He felt like the world and everything he knew was crumbling beneath his feet.

"But you're not - "

"Gay?" Percy finished for him. Jason nodded, wide-eyed. "Yeah, I know. I heard you talking to Leo about me and I just - I really like you, Jay, more than as a friend and when I said that I wanted us to be just friends, that was mostly just me trying to get rid of my feelings towards you, but I can't. I can't get enough of the way you look at me like I'm the best person in the world, the way your eyes sparkle, and your laugh. You're special, Jason, because you're the only guy I've ever had feelings for and it freaked me out - that's why I ran away that morning. I thought you would hate me for having feelings towards you."

"I could never hate you, Percy," Jason told him. "I'm definitely not one to judge you because I _only_ like guys. Or more specifically guys with green eyes and black hair."

Percy smiled widely, dimples showing as he grinned. His eyes were drawn to the blonde's lips. "I think I'm going to kiss you now." He warned before closing the distance between their lips.

Jason wrapped his arms around the older boy's neck, kissing him passionately. It was probably the best kiss he'd ever had, his toes curling and eyes shut tight. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.

He pulled away to ask, "What happened to goat number two?"

"There is no goat number two." Percy smirked before capturing Jason's lips into another kiss.

And somewhere far away, Leo was listening to the two through the walkie-talkie that was in Percy's back pocket, feeling quite satisfied that his plan had actually worked.

Leo had created the master plan of framing Luke for the prank that he pulled on Percy a week ago, leaving behind a note that had spurred the green-eyed boy on to pull an even bigger prank. Then, he'd simply made sure to bring up Percy in a conversation while said boy eavesdropped and _BAM_! Everything had fallen into place.

He knew Jason would eventually chicken out because he was a goody-two shoes and Percy would try to convince him that it was okay.

Honestly, Leo deserved a Nobel Peace Prize for doing this. Though, he had to keep his mouth shut about the whole thing or else he'd suffer the wrath of Jason Grace, which was something he did not want a repeat of. His whole body was sore for a entire week the last time he'd done something to get on Jason's bad side.

Leo couldn't wait to brag about this to Piper.

* * *

**Okay, so this chapter was ridiculously cute and fluffy and just full of Jercy. This is the longest chapter I've ever written, but it was fun to write so I really didn't notice. Also, I realized that Nico, Hazel, and Frank aren't in the story and I'm planning on working them in somehow.**

**Should I have Nico like Percy in this story or not?**

**I kinda feel like having Jercy and Percabeth is enough, though.**

**Leave what you think in a review! :)**

**- Hazel x**


	8. Chapter 8

There was a knock on Jason's dorm room door, causing the blonde to groan before he answered it. His attitude quickly changed, though, once he caught sight of his boyfriend standing in his doorway.

"Hi." He said.

"Hey," Percy winked at him, inviting himself into the room and laying eagle spread on Jason's bed. He grinned at the blonde, "So do you know what today is?"

"Wednesday?" Jason deadpanned, causing the green-eyed boy to laugh and shake his head. "What is it then?"

"The big swim meet," said Percy, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "You know, the meet before state championship. The meet where there'll be a whole bunch of scouts. The meet I've been telling you about for the past week?"

Jason groaned and ran a hand over his face.

Percy sat up on his elbows. "You forgot, didn't you?"

"I've just been so busy with all of my classes and football and I've got a shit-load of material to cover for my test in Physics," the blonde said, gesturing towards the stack of books from the library and the mountain of notes he'd taken. "I promise I'll make it to the next meet."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Like you promised to come tonight?"

"Percy." Jason sat on the bed next to his boyfriend, taking his hand in his. "I swear I'll make it to the next meet. Gay scout's honor."

The green-eyed boy laughed, "Really, Grace?"

"What, Jackson? It's the only legit swear," Jason replied without missing a beat, leaning over to plant a kiss to Percy's lips.

He pulled away, but the green-eyed boy had other plans. He wrapped a hand around the back of Jason's neck and pulled him in for another kiss, this one lasting a lot longer and way more passionate.

Percy's tongue grazed along the blonde's lower lip, asking for permission to enter. Jason gladly obliged and let the older boy explore his mouth, a small moan escaping from his throat. Before he knew it, Percy broke the kiss and was already standing.

"As much fun as kissing you is, I really must be going," Percy announced, holding out a hand to help the blonde off of the bed. Jason accepted it and was lifted to his feet.

"Do you have to go?"

"If I don't want to disappoint my dad," Percy mumbled so low that Jason almost didn't hear it.

He sighed and gave the green-eyed boy one last chaste kiss before shoving him out of his room, saying, "You have to go before you're late...again. Good luck."

And then Percy was off, leaving Jason to himself. He turned around to face the pile of work he'd made that was increasing in size every second he stared at it.

If he wanted to be done by at least midnight, he'd have to start now. Ugh.

* * *

"Hello?" Jason asked once he slid his fingers across his iPhone's screen. He stuck the phone in between his ear and his shoulder and continued working, hastily finishing his study guide.

"Hi, is this, um, Jason Grace?"

He frowned, setting his pencil on the desk's surface. He didn't recognize the woman's voice at all.

"Yes," he replied, "and who is this?"

"I'm Mellie, the receptionist at Hospital." The lady on the phone answered him. On the other end, he could hear people yelling out orders and fingers tapping loudly on keyboards. "There's been an accident."

"What happened?"

"You're Percy Jackson's boyfriend, am I correct?"

_Oh God_.

If something happened to Percy, he didn't know what he would do. He stared at the wall in front of him, afraid to speak because he knew that if he did, his voice would crack. After a couple of seconds, he managed to croak out, "Is Percy okay?"

"Yes, he's - "

"Can I talk to him?"

"He's in a coma."

"What do you mean he's in a coma?" Jason roared, his grip tightening around the phone. "You said he was okay! Is he going to wake up?"

"He's stable, but there's not a one hundred percent chance that he'll wake up," Mellie replied after a beat, and then she said, "I'm sorry, I have to go. There's someone with an emergency on the other line."

The phone beeped in Jason's ear, signalling that the receptionist had hung up.

Jason felt like he'd just gone through a grueling six hour football practice. His mouth was dry, his limbs felt like lead, and he felt like he was going to throw up everything he ate in the past twelve hours. All he wanted to do was curl under his covers and close his eyes and hope when he opened them, Percy would be beside him, holding him in his muscular arms. There was no way his Percy wouldn't wake up - he was a fighter.

And Jason was going to fight for him, too.

Pulling on a pair of Converse, Jason stuck his phone in his back pocket just in case the hospital called him again with new information and ran out to his car. It took him fifteen minutes to get the hospital, mostly because he took shortcuts and ran several red lights. The only thing on his mind was _Percy, Percy, Percy_.

Jason parked his car and barrelled through the hospital's doors, running up to the receptionist's desk. A petite woman with elf-like features looked up at him, her brown eyes wide. Before she could open her mouth, he said a bit too harshly, "What room is Percy Jackson in?"

"I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over." She said, pointedly looking at the clock on the wall behind Jason. He recognized her as Mellie, the lady who was on the phone with him earlier. "You can come back tomorrow."

Jason had to resist the urge to grab her by the collar of her white button-up (mostly because she was a girl and he was a gentleman), instead settling for leaning over the desk, his nose mere centimeters away from hers. "My boyfriend is somewhere in one of these rooms and is suffering from an injury that I learned about only fifteen minutes ago. I think I deserve to visit him, even if it is only for a couple of minutes, don't you?"

Mellie sighed, pulling out a piece of paper from one of the desk's drawers and quickly scribbled something down on it.

"You have twenty minutes," was all she said as she slid the paper towards him.

Jason thanked her before heading down a long corridor with an elevator at the end of it. He entered the elevator, pushing the button for the third floor, like the paper instructed. When he exited, he walked down the hallway, searching for room 128. He found it and stood outside of the door, feeling like his stomach was making its way up his throat. Of course, Jason wanted to see his boyfriend, but he was also a bit scared of the fact that Percy might not wake up. That was like his worst nightmare coming true.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Jason grasped the cold doorknob in his hand and swung open the door.

He didn't know what he was expecting exactly, but he did not expect to see a blonde girl sitting in a chair next to Percy's bed, her fingers intertwined with his boyfriend's. Her eyes flicked up to meet his, grey eyes looking him up and down as if she was trying to figure out what he was doing in Percy's room. He could totally ask her the same thing, but that's pretty much what he didn't do.

Instead, he said something like, "Uh, w-who are you?"

The girl stood, sauntering over to stand directly in front of Jason. She crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes a bit. He noticed that she gave off the vibe that she knew Percy well and was protective of him.

"I'm Annabeth Chase," she said slowly, "who are _you_?"

Jason scoffed a little, rolling his eyes. "Oh, you're the infamous Annabeth?"

"Excuse me?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "Do you know Percy?" She gestured towards the black-haired teen that laid in the bed they were now standing in front of and Jason finally got a good look at his boyfriend.

He walked up to bed, looking at how broken Percy seemed, tied up to all sorts of beeping machines through two clear tubes that went into his nostrils. Jason couldn't believe that Percy couldn't even breathe on his own. His boyfriend, who was the most independent person he knew (when it didn't include schoolwork).

Jason ran a hand through Percy's hair and he swore he saw him move into the touch.

"Do you know what happened?" He asked Annabeth suddenly. She nodded, pulling down the sleeves of her maroon sweater over her hands.

"Yeah, the doctors said he went into a coma from holding his breath too long. Most people in the aquatics community call it '_shallow water blackout_,' which is the unexplained loss of consciousness." Annabeth explained as if what she was saying was easy to follow. While she spoke, she made little gestures with her hands that Jason, if he were straight, would've found cute, "In essence, descending through the water compresses the gas in the lungs, driving more gas into the blood.

This increases the amount of oxygen available to be taken in, and as the diver ascends through the water, still holding their breath, the blood oxygen level falls much faster than it would without the vertical excursion. Since the relative pressure change is the greatest in the shallowest water, it's pretty normal for blackout to occur in the final stage or just after surfacing, hence the adoption of the term."

Now, Jason prided himself on his level of intelligence, but even he had gotten lost during her 'little' speech somewhere at the term shallow water blackout. He stared at her with his mouth wide open, vaguely wondering how Percy could date someone like Annabeth. She was literally a walking encyclopedia while Percy, on the other hand, wasn't exactly book-smart.

Needless to say, Jason was impressed and slightly wary of his new competition for Percy's affection. Annabeth was undoubtedly gorgeous, what with her princess curls and that California girl look she possessed, and was pretty damn smart. It was no wonder she'd caught Percy's eye in the past.

"Oh," Jason said, looking down at his feet. The one swim meet he didn't go to and this is what happened. A visit to the hospital and the return of his boyfriend's ex-girlfriend.

Just then, a nurse walked in carrying a wooden clipboard and looked at them both with a stern look. "It's after visiting hours," the woman said, "you two are going to have to leave. I'm sorry."

Jason began to leave, but Annabeth stayed behind, simply holding up her hand to show the nurse the blue wristband that was wrapped around her wrist. Jason hadn't noticed it earlier and he wondered why he didn't have one. He was Percy's boyfriend and yet here she was, showing up out of the blue and getting special treatment.

"I'm a partner in a care," Annabeth said, eyes trained on Jason, rather than the nurse. "The patient's mother sent me here for her while she's on a plane from New York."

Percy's mother sent her? From New York? How long had the two dated if Percy's mom had her on freakin' speed-dial?

The nurse nodded and left after Jason told her he'd be leaving in a minute. He turned to face the other blonde, plastering a wide (and totally fake) smile on his face.

"By the way, I'm Jason Grace," he introduced himself. "Percy's _boyfriend_."

And then he exited the room, smirking to himself, once he saw Annabeth's shocked expression.

* * *

**Aaaaaaaand they meet.**

**I really hope I did Annabeth justice. I mean, I didn't want her to come off as a female dog, _if you know what I mean_, but she's not supposed to be all buddy-buddy with Jason, you know?**

**Also, shallow water blackout is a real thing, but idk if it can actually happen in swimming, since it's more of a diving thing. But whatever, it works fine enough. I just thought a shoulder injury was too mainstream yo ;)**

**Sorry if I bored you to death with Annabeth's monologue, though. If you skipped over it, then I achieved my goal! Haha.**

**Don't forget to review and thanks for all of your support. Keep being amazing!**

**- Hazel x**

**(P.S. I decided that Nico won't like Percy in this story. If I did that it'll be too much and I haven't even introduced him as a character soooo yeaaah.)**


	9. Chapter 9

While staying at the hospital, Jason learned three new things.

One, Annabeth was not good at small talk.

_Example:_

_"What college do you go to, Annabeth?"_

_"Berkeley."_

_..._

_"How old are you?"_

_"Twenty-one."_

_..._

_"What's your major?"_

_"If I answer, will you stop asking me questions?"_

_"Sure."_

_"Architecture."_

_"Cool."_

_"Now be quiet, I'm trying to go to sleep."_

Two, the hospital food was absolutely horrid. It was like a cross between those microwave dinners from Dollar Tree and the lunch food back in high school. It was still food though, so Jason couldn't really complain.

Wait.

Actually, Jason _could_ complain because while he was sitting in the most uncomfortable chair in the world, debating whether or not he should become anorexic, Annabeth was sitting on the edge of Percy's bed, smirking at him and shoveling spoons of Chipotle into her mouth.

Damn her.

Anyways, the third thing he learned was the name of a boy he met in the elevator. His name was Nico di Angelo.

Jason had first met the dark-haired teen on the elevator when he was leaving the hospital for his psychology class. Nico was leaning against the wall, headphones plugged into his ears and his head casted down. He bopped his head softly to the music.

When the blonde stepped into the elevator, the boy simply looked up and gave him the tiniest nod as a form of greeting. His eyes watched Jason carefully and he found himself squirming under the gaze of a boy who couldn't be more than eighteen years old, at least a year younger than himself.

"What are you here for?" Jason blurted out and then nearly face-palmed because the boy obviously wasn't listening to him. Obviously.

"Hmm?" The dark-haired boy raised an eyebrow and removed just one earphone from his ear - his way of saying 'don't talk to me.'

Jason felt stupid all of sudden, his cheeks turning a dark shade of red as he stuttered out, "I-I asked what you're here for. I mean, there's obviously not something wrong with you." He waved his hand up and down in a gesture that was lost even to him.

"My sister broke her arm," the boy said, wrapping his black aviator's jacket tighter around himself. Jason noticed that he wore all black - a little goth, but not quite. He was missing the black eyeliner. Though, the boy would totally be able to pull off the look. He was cute, but definitely not Jason's type. "You?"

"My boyfriend was in a swimming accident and's in a coma." Jason said, shrugging. Then before he could stop himself he continued on, "We were getting pretty serious and then this happened and his ex-girlfriend showed up out of blue, which probably shouldn't bother me as much as it does and ... you probably think I'm crazy right now." He laughed to himself, shaking his head and wondering why he was talking to a complete stranger about his life problems.

"I don't," the boy replied, his eyes pure black as they focused on Jason. "Everyone's got a little bit of crazy."

They were silent for a while until Jason noticed that the elevator hadn't moved since he stepped in.

"Why aren't we moving?" He asked, biting his lip.

"Because you didn't push the button," the boy chuckled.

"Oh, wow." Jason said sarcastically and stepped forward to push the button for the lobby, groaning inwardly at the fact that he was probably going to be late for class. Again. As of late, his punctuality had really been suffering.

Jason leaned against the wall, crossing his arm over his chest and watching as the boy pushed one of the glowing buttons - number two. "I feel like I've seen you before."

"Do you go to Olympus?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"That's probably why. I go there, too."

"Freshman?"

"Unfortunately," the boy said and then raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you're on the football team, right?"

The blonde grinned to himself. "Yep, number three, star running back."

The elevator doors opened then, revealing the fourth floor of the hospital. A couple stood in the doorway with agitated expressions, waiting to board the elevator.

Jason turned to the dark-haired boy, extending out a hand. "Well, it was nice meeting you, ... "

"Nico," the boy offered, shaking Jason's hand. "Nico di Angelo."

"Nico," the blonde said. "I'm Jason Grace."

* * *

Over the next couple of days, Jason was what you would call 'on edge.' He kept checking his call history on his phone and he wore his old gray Olympus hoodie for the whole week because between worrying about Percy's health and school, he honestly didn't care about his appearance. (Thalia, though, teased him relentlessly about his latest wardrobe staple, saying, "_You're gay, you're supposed to be fashion forward_!" Which was followed by a series of incessant giggles.)

"Ugh," Jason groaned, closing his eyes and shoving his phone back in his pocket. "The hospital was supposed to call by now!"

Leo sent him a pitiful look from where he was slumped on his bed, his back against the wall. He pointed at Jason, "Dude, you need to relax. If Percy wakes up, his ex, Annabel or whatever, is there. I mean, what's the worse that could happen? It's not like they're gonna hook up in a hospital room."

Jason's eyes widened at the thought of Percy and Annabeth hooking up in the hospital room and Piper glared at the Latino.

"Leo," she said. "Not helping."

He held up his hands and shrugged. "Sorry," he apologized, glancing over at the blonde who was contemplating jumping out of the window of Leo's dorm room. It was only the second floor, the worst that could happen was a couple of scrapes and bruises. That wouldn't hurt too bad, right?

"... because you need to go out and - Jason, are you listening to me?" Piper was saying and said boy blinked slowly, realizing that he'd been too consumed in his thoughts of suicide to hear what the girl was saying.

"Huh?" he wondered out loud and Leo groaned, which seriously was not a good thing because he rarely payed attention to anything. He had a really severe case of ADHD and it was a miracle he'd even gotten into college - no offense, Leo.

"Were you even listening?" Piper questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Jason nodded a bit too enthusiatically. "Yeah, you were saying how I need to get out more and ... stuff." Leo snorted.

She rolled her eyes. "Leo and I are going to this party that Drew invited us to. You remember Drew, right?"

"She's your sister? She's Asian, right?"

"She's really hot," commented Leo, who they both ignored.

"Half Asian, but yeah." Piper waved her hand in the air dismissively before continuing, "My mom's throwing a surprise party for her since she got accepted by some big modelling agency in New York City and she said I can invite some friends over. You should totally come."

"Pipes, you know that I have to be here in case Percy wakes up - "

"Nope, you're going," she decided for him. She stood up and grabbed Jason's hand and dragged him out of the room. "No excuses!"

As the pair passed through the doorway, Jason grabbed onto the doorknob in an attempt to get away from Piper. "Help!" He called to Leo.

The Latino laughed, sauntering over to where Piper was trying to pull him off the door. "Sorry, bro, but I need another guy there. Do you know many parties that girl dragged - literally _dragged_ - me to?"

"Uh, one?"

"Hundreds!"

Piper rolled her eyes. "It was only, like, twenty."

"Still," Leo said. "A lot, so you're coming, Grace. You owe me."

Then Leo proceeded to release Jason's hand from the doorknob, sending the blonde flying through the door. He could hear Jason screaming all the way to the end of the hall.

* * *

"Piper," Jason whined, tugging at the collar of the too tight polo he was wearing. "I told you that this shirt was too small."

Piper sent him a glare over the punch table, her eyes turning from brown to a dark shade of green that vaguely reminded him of Percy as she poured red punch into a clear glass. "Shut up, you look nice," she said, tucking a lock of her choppy brown hair behind her ear. "Would you rather my mom dress you? She would probably make you wear a corset or something."

Jason laughed harshly, still adjusting his shirt. "I don't know if that would be better or worse."

"Worse, way worse," Piper confirmed, walking around the table to stand beside the blonde. She brought the glass up to her lips and with her other hand, pointed at a woman who was wearing a fancy red dress that looked like it came out of a Alexander McQueen catalogue. (Don't ask how he knew who that was.)

"That's my mom," Piper told Jason and if he were drinking something at the moment, he totally would've done a spit take.

"Aphrodite, the number one supermodel in the world, is your mom?" He asked, shocked. Piper shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal that her mother was on the cover of every posh magazine on the shelf.

Leo popped up beside them, laughing. "What happened to you, Piper? Didn't get the pretty gene?"

She rolled her eyes and sent Leo a look over the top of her glass. "I might be wearing a dress, but I can still kick your ass, Valdez."

"Shh, don't let mommy hear you curse. She might give you a make-over - "

"Wait," Piper held up a hand and both boys sent her curious glances. She nudged the blonde with her elbow as she said, "Who's the hottie checking you out, Jason?"

"Where?" He asked, looking around.

"At four o'clock."

He peeked over his right shoulder, past Leo and Piper, to see Nico leaning against a wall. (Seriously, every time Jason saw him he was leaning against something.) He still wore all black, but he had traded the leather aviator jacket for a tuxedo jacket - still black, of course. It was almost as if he was trying to blend in with the shadows, trying not to draw attention to himself.

Nico gave him the most minicule nod, his lips curling upwards in a smirk.

"Oh, that's Nico. I met him at the hospital a couple of days ago."

"He's totally into you." Piper said.

"I have a _boyfriend_," Jason pointed out.

"I'll take him off of your hands, then," said Leo, running his hands through his unruly dark curls. "How do I look?" He asked the two.

Jason gave him a thumbs up while Piper shrugged, indifferent. "You look like you always do," she commented off-handedly.

"I'm guessing smoking hot." He winked and then sauntered over to Nico, immediately engaging in conversation.

Piper sighed, turning to Jason with an annoyed look on her face. "This is why I didn't want to come with Leo. He always ditches me."

Before he could open his mouth, Aphrodite walked up to them, looking effortlessly beautiful as always. "Piper!" She exclaimed, engulfing her daughter in a hug that smelled of Chanel No. 5. "How are you, dear?" She asked, pulling away.

"I'm going to go," Jason said awkwardly, attempting to leave. He could sense they needed some mother-daughter bonding time from the way Piper was avoiding her mom's gaze.

"No!" Piper latched onto his arm, pulling him back to her side. Aphrodite looked between the two teens. "No, because I have to, uh, introduce you to my mom, Aphrodite. Aphrodite, this is Jason."

"Are you Piper's boyfriend?"

They both almost choked, shaking their heads and muttering incoherent things. Finally, Piper managed to say, "H-He's just a friend."

"Oh?" Aphrodite raised an eyebrow, giving them a tight-lipped smile.

"Yeah," Jason nodded.

"Yeah," Piper said.

The awkwardness between the trio was growing increasingly more... awkward.

And then Jason's phone rang and he almost jumped for joy. He meekly said excuse me and stepped outside to answer the call, which was from an unknown number.

"Hey," he said, "who's this?"

"Annabeth."

Jason frowned. "How did you get my number?"

"Percy's phone," she said as if it explained everything. "Anyways, I just called to let you know that Percy is supposed to wake up soon. Like tonight, maybe."

"Tonight?" He repeated, feeling his heart swell up with joy. He considered thanking all the gods that existed or maybe even crying. Mostly the former.

"Yeah."

"Alright, I'll be there as soon as possible."

Annabeth said okay and he hung up, running back to Piper, who was still having a conversation with her mom. Jason told her what Annabeth had said and Piper immediately perked up, offering him a ride, much to her mother's disappointment. "She'll get over it," Piper said when they got into her car.

They made it to the hospital and Jason ran up to the third floor, throwing open the room door with his heart hammering in his chest as his eyes met Percy's sea green ones. And then he noticed that Annabeth was laying on the bed beside Percy, holding hands with him.

Like a couple.

_Oh my God_, Jason thought, _they _did_ hook up_.

* * *

**Umm, I have no idea what happened at the end there. Like honestly.**

**This chapter was just going to be about Jason meeting Nico and then my fingers started typing and damn Leo for putting those thoughts in Jason's head. Ugh.**

**As always, review and stuff.**

**I love you, beautiful person! **

**- Hazel x**


	10. Chapter 10

The smell of antiseptic, white blinding light, and the soft beeps of a machine were the first things Percy was aware of as he woke up, blinking slowly. It took a couple of seconds for his eyes to adjust to the bright light and as they did, he saw a pair of familiar grey eyes and blonde princess curls.

Moaning, Percy leaned over the bed and began to dry heave, his throat dry and scratchy. He felt fingers carding through his hair in a way that was supposed to feel comforting. Though, what it really felt like was his heart trying to claw its way out of his chest, but unfortunately there was no word in the English dictionary for that.

"Percy?" She said. "Are you okay?"

Percy's sassy side felt like saying, "_If your definition of okay is just waking up from a freaking coma and feeling like complete shit, then yes_." But he didn't have the mind or energy to get those words out, so he just let out a noise that sounded like a dying hippo.

Annabeth ran out into the hallway and flagged down the nearest nurse. He could hear her yelling for them to get a doctor, spewing out orders like she was a doctor herself. She could've been, considering how smart she was.

She appeared back in the doorway, walking up to the bed and taking his hand in hers. Percy wanted to snatch his hand away, but he didn't have the energy to do that either. He hadn't eaten in days, he smelled like puke, and the first person he'd ever loved and had his heart broken by was holding his hand like the only thing that mattered was him.

And Percy knew that that was a complete lie.

The doctor strolled into the room at that moment. He was an older looking man with salt and pepper hair and a receding hairline. He also looked like he had drinking a dozen cups of coffee just to keep him up for the night, resembling something of Albert Einstein with the way he hair stuck up like he'd been electrocuted and the wire-rimmed glasses that sat firmly on the bridge of his nose.

As the doctor told Annabeth about Percy's condition - he was stable enough to be moved out of the intensive care unit - the green-eyed boy felt himself drifting away little by little as if he was being blown by the wind. Grey eyes connected with green just one more time before Percy let him succumb himself to the darkness that was starting to overwhelm him.

* * *

The next time Percy came to, he felt the dip in the bed beside him, the cause being a body laying on the bed next to him, their legs pressed together from the hip down. He turned his head to see Annabeth laying beside him, her eyes focused so intently on the book she was reading that she didn't notice he was wide awake and watching her.

Being this close to Annabeth, Percy noticed all the the things that had changed about her since he had last seen her.

Annabeth's hair was now more strawberry blonde than honey blonde, little tendrils of hair framing her face naturally and effortlessly in the way most girls took hours to do. Her cheeks were tinged with pink instead of the red he was used to and her eyes, _oh God_, those eyes.

He missed the way they turned to a lighter shade whenever she laughed or teased him, the color of the clouds after a rainstorm. He missed the way they turned dark like the smoke of a fire when she was angry.

Most of all Percy just missed her in general. The smell of her strawberry shampoo. Her dainty fingers intertwined with his. When she called him Seaweed Brain.

But the memories of those times also brought the heartache with it, too. The feeling like he was being strangled till the world was spinning below his feet and the thudding of his heart was a loud rhythm in his ears as she said those godforsaken words.

"_It's over, Percy_."

And then tossed him to the side as if he were the trash that deserved to be left on the curb.

The only thing was, when Monday came around and the garbage truck left, Percy was still sitting there on the curb outside of her apartment building. He had wanted to go back into her apartment to give her one last confession of his love and try to convince her that they were worth a second try. _That you couldn't just throw away a love like theirs._

And then Percy saw her enter her apartment with Luke. The same Luke who was the quarterback of Olympus. The same Luke who he had to pretend he didn't hate because he stole his Wise Girl and made her change schools to avoid him.

And up until now, Percy thought he had moved onto something bigger and better that was named Jason Grace, but when his eyes met Annabeth's, time stopped and he found himself wanting to brush her hair behind her ear like old times, even though he knew he couldn't.

Because things were different.

Because she didn't love him anymore.

Because he was dating Jason.

"Um," Annabeth said, looking away quickly. "You're probably thirsty."

She reached over to pick up a cup of water from the bedside table, turning to fully face him. "Drink," she commanded as she held the cup to his awaiting lips.

When he was done, Percy licked chapped lips, his throat feeling a lot less dry. "Thanks," he said, though it might have came out more sarcastic than he wanted it to.

Annabeth blinked in surprise, like he had slapped her with his words. She wrung her hands together and looked at him with a expression that resembled guilt. Percy would've been lying if he said some part of him was smiling in satisfaction.

"Look," she started, her eyes turning so dark they were almost black. "I'm sorry, Percy. I know that I hurt you a lot - "

"That's an understatement." He snapped, interrupting her. "You broke my heart, Annabeth. I've let my guard up and it's going to take a lot to make me trust you again."

"I know, Percy," she nodded, curls falling from the loose bun at the crown of her head. "I know. I've been replaced with Jason."

_No, you haven't_, Percy thought bitterly. He shut his eyes tightly and held he breath before letting it out like his counselor from anger management had told him to do. _In for one. Out for three._

Feeling the tension leave his body, Percy opened his eyes, meeting Annabeth's grey ones. He plastered an indifferent look on his face, the mask he often wore. "Can you get me some dinner?" He asked nonchalantly. "I'm hungry."

"Percy, you can't just change the subject. We've got to talk about this eventually." Annabeth insisted.

"No, we don't. I'm done with this conversation."

"Percy," she said softly, taking his hand again. His skin burned from her touch. "Look at me."

He did.

"I know you're dating Jason, but I still want to have you in my life, even if that means as a friend. When you left, everything changed. I didn't have anyone to talk to when Luke broke up with me because my best friend was gone. Do you think going to a new college and making new friends was easy? And not having someone to vent to at the end of the day?" Annabeth asked him, her voice cracking a bit. "God, I just... _I just miss you, Percy_."

He became too aware of their proximity to each other. Annabeth's body was pressed against his so that she could look at him. Her face was so close, her nose was barely brushing his. He could smell the mint on her breath.

Percy wished he could say something, _anything_. It was like he was in quicksand. The more he thought about Annabeth and what to say, the worse the situation got. It was taking all of his willpower to not say yes and kiss her like he'd wanted to for the past six months. It was crazy how she still had this affect on him, even after all this time.

But then Percy's eyes drifted to the door and he caught sight of a certain blue-eyed blonde in the doorway. Piper was standing behind him, grabbing his hand to try to pull him out of the room, but Jason was rooted there, eyes widened and mouth agape.

Percy tried to sit up, but the wires tangled around his arms and his chest were keeping him strapped down to the bed.

"I can explain," he said desperately, shaking Annabeth off of him and reaching for the only blonde that should matter to him right now. "It's not what it looks like."

It's funny how that was what everyone said when they were caught doing something that they shouldn't be doing.

Jason took a step back into Piper and let the girl tug him out of the room.

"Wait!" Percy called desperately. He thrashed around, trying to get out of the mess he was in - both literally and figuratively.

Jason didn't even glance over his shoulder not once.

Percy held his head in his hands, pulling his hair at the roots. He felt a hand on his back that was tracing patterns through the thin material of the hospital gown. He glared at the blonde girl beside him, his eyes churning like the angry ocean.

"Get out," he snarled. "I want to be alone."

"But - "

"Get out!" He yelled much louder than he needed to considering she was laying beside him.

Annabeth flinched, slinking away from him. She slid off the bed and gathered her bag off the chair in the corner of the hospital room. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she settled him with her steely gaze.

"You should call him."

And if that wasn't the smartest thing to come out of those rose pink lips, then Percy didn't know what was.

* * *

**Kay, so leave me a review telling me how that played out because I didn't want Annabeth to come off to much as a female dog. I mean, she and Percy have a love/hate relationship going on.**

**Also, I hope this helps you guys understand why they were laying in the same bed. I don't want Percy to come off as a douche bag, lol.**

**So YAAAAASSS, don't forget to review, follow, and favorite.**

**Love ya bunches!**

**- Hazel x**


	11. Chapter 11

Have you felt like your world was crumbling to pieces underneath your feet and you're unable to breath or do anything about it?

Well, that's how Jason felt.

He didn't know if he should've been like one of those crazy boyfriends who threw things across the room and punched walls or the boyfriend that cried for two weeks. Either way, seeing his boyfriend holding hands with his ex-girlfriend made his chest feel as if an elephant was sitting on him.

As he boarded the elevator, Piper squeezed his hand, bringing him away from his thoughts. He looked at her and her eyes changed from a honey brown to a dark blue.

"I think you should talk to him, Jason." Piper said and he let out an indignant huff. "It could all be a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding? He was holding hands with his ex and about to kiss her!" Jason exclaimed, waving his hands around wildly, which was totally unlike him. He liked to think he was too controlled to act that way, but that was just the affect Percy had on him.

"You're overreacting," Piper rolled her now hazel eyes. "Yes, Annabeth was probably making a move on Percy, but he cares too much about your relationship to hurt you. He's too loyal to do that."

Jason stayed silent as they walked out of the elevator and out of the hospital lobby to the parking lot. The whole way to the car Jason was quietly fuming, but he stayed quiet nonetheless, crossing his arms over his chest. The dark-skinned girl pulled her keys out of her the back pockets of her jeans, glancing over the top of the BMW at Jason.

"I'm going back to my mom's party to pick up Leo and then we're going to school." She stated, sitting in the driver's seat and igniting the engine. Jason knew that there was no arguing with her.

* * *

Piper pulled into the mansion's driveway, the headlights illuminating two bodies in the darkness. Jason squinted and leaned forward, trying to see who the other person standing with Leo was.

"Is that Nico?" He asked, once he recognized the dark hair and the aviator jacket.

"Yeah, Leo asked me if I could give him a ride to the school." Piper shrugged, unlocking the doors to let the pair in. Leo and Nico slid into the backseat and the Latino sighed, running his hands along the leather interior of the BMW.

"Every time I get in your car, Pipes, I remember how much I'm in love with it." Leo sighed, relaxing back into the seat.

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered underneath her breath as she backed out of the driveway, lookibg over her shoulder. "Don't get too attached."

Nico looked mighty confused, so Jason took it upon himself to turn around and explain the Latino's infatuation with Piper's car.

"He's majoring in mechanics," Jason informed him. "He has a special spot in his heart for BMW's."

"A special spot in my heart that you are longer a part of!" Leo glared at the blonde. He grabbed Nico's hand and the fleeting look of panic crossed the dark-haired teen's face. "You are now replaced with Nico, peasant."

Jason scoffed. "We'll see about that tomorrow when I don't give you any of my lunch."

"I thought you were too busy sharing it with your boyfriend, Percy, anyways."

And then the whole car fell silent, though for different reasons. Leo's eyes widened when he realized he'd gone too far with the joke, since he still thought that Percy was in a coma, Piper and Jason were thinking about what they had seen earlier at the hospital, and Nico was just really confused and trying not to make the conversation any more awkward.

"Wait, your boyfriend is Percy? As in _Percy Jackson_?" Nico spoke for the first time, sensing a substantial change in the tension in the car. Everyone turned to give him quizzical looks. Even Piper shot him a raised eyebrow though the rear view mirror and the dark-haired boy noticed that her hands were clenched so tightly around the steering wheel that they were turning white at the knuckles.

"Yeah," Jason said, breaking the awkward silence.

Before Nico could respond, Leo threw his arm around his shoulders and placed a wet kiss on the dark-haired boy's cheek. "Why worry about Percy when you have me?" He proclaimed (always the one to break the tension) and Nico shoved the Latino boy off of him, grumbling something about Leo being too touchy.

Jason didn't say anything after that. He just listened as the conversation just kept changing from topic to topic. He couldn't keep his mind off of how Nico knew Percy and why was he so surprised that he was dating Jason. Was he not good enough for Percy, looks wise and everything? Or did the two date, too?

Sighing, Jason simply shook his head and tried to keep his mind off the green-eyed boy.

* * *

Jason looked at his phone once again as it vibrated, the screen lighting up with the name '_Percy Jackson_.' His finger hovered over the answer button. He wanted to answer it, he really did, but there was still that nagging voice in his head saying that Percy deserved it for what he did.

The phone fell silent and Jason checked his notifications for the hundredth time.

Twenty seven missed calls, twenty five voice mails, and nineteen text messages. The blonde bit his lip.

"You're going to have to talk to him eventually," Thalia said from across the table. Her raven hair was just as spiky as usual, reaching just below her shoulders, and her electric blue eyes were thickly surrounded by black eyeliner. She was frowning at Jason.

The two were eating breakfast together in the dining hall after the dark-haired girl forced him to get out of his room for something other than school and football. Jason had been reluctant but it was his sister. He couldn't just say no.

"I'll just avoid him until then." Jason replied smoothly. Like it was that simple.

She sent him a look, one eyebrow raised skillfully and eyes narrowed as she impaled a piece of her pancake as if it were going to run off the plate. Thalia did a lot of things forcefully, like how she always kicked open doors. There were hundreds of dusty shoe prints on the outside of her dorm room door from where she kicked it as she opened it.

"You can't avoid him forever, Jase. You two have a class together. It's not your fault he's a world class jerk."

"He's not a jerk," Jason mumbled under his breath. Thalia still heard him.

"Since when does laying in the same bed and holding hands with your ex not make you a jerk?" He could tell she was getting agitated now from the way her fists were clenched on the table. "He's playing with your emotions, Jason. He might be my friend but you come first. I won't hesitate to kick his ass if I have to."

"Please don't kick his ass." Jason said, remembering the last time she'd '_kicked someone's ass_.' Poor Kevin was sent to the hospital with a broken nose and a supreme wedgie. "Don't kick anyone's ass, Thals."

Thalia smiled softly at her brother but it left quickly when Jason's phone began to buzz again. She rolled her eyes. "Just answer the goddamned phone, Jason."

The blonde glanced up from the phone at his sister, his eyebrows furrowed. "Are you sure you want me to?" He asked.

"He's just going to keep calling you anyway." She sat back in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest. "Maybe Percy is short for persistent."

Jason let out a loud one syllable laugh, shaking his head at Thalia before he brought the phone up to his ear.

"Hey, you answered." Percy said, surprised.

Jason nodded before he remembered that the green-eyed boy couldn't see him. "Yeah, I did."

"Do you think you can stop by so we can talk?" Percy asked. "I don't want to do this over the phone."

At least he had the decency to want to talk to me in person, the blonde boy thought. Then he thought about how much raspier his boyfriend's voice was now.

"I have physics in twenty minutes. Maybe after then?"

"Yeah," Percy said slowly. "Yeah, see you then."

"Okay." Jason could hear the boy's steady breathing on the other side. "Bye."

"What did he say?" Thalia asked once he hung up.

"He wants to talk to me."

"Do you think Percy's going to break up with you?" She was now in 'protective older sister' mode.

"I don't know."

"Just in case, my offer to beat him up still stands."

"_Thalia_."

"What?" She questioned innocently, her azure eyes widened in mock surprise.

"I'll beat him up myself if I have to," Jason said, rolling his eyes.

Thalia threw her head back in laughter, like he had made some funny joke, which he was pretty sure he didn't. "I'd pay to see that."

The rest of the conversation was lost when one of Thalia's friends - Jason was pretty sure her name was Phoebe - walked up to their table and joined them.

* * *

Percy looked terrible. As a matter of fact, that was an understatement.

His eyes were surrounded with bags, like he hadn't slept for days, and his hair was even more unruly. It was obvious Percy hadn't bathed recently, which probably had something to do with being bedridden.

Needless to say, Percy looked like shit and Jason didn't miss the chance to tell him so either.

The blonde sat in the wooden chair he hadn't seen in about a week and glanced over at the green-eyed boy, letting out a soft chuckle. "You look like shit, Jackson."

Percy shrugged. "Being stuck in a bed for twenty four hours will do that to you, Grace."

"And maybe missing a couple of showers, too." Jason pointed out and Percy laughed, reaching up to ruffle his dark hair. His dimples were showing as he grinned and then the grin changed into him biting his lip.

"I missed you, Jason."

The blonde looked at his Converse clad feet, wanting to say something. He didn't want to mention anything about Annabeth because right now the two of them were good - _great even_ - and he didn't want to ruin this moment. So he settled with a quiet, "Oh."

"Yeah," Percy said and the blonde glanced up at him, green eyes meeting blue. "I know you think I'm a jerk and you probably hate me - "

"I don't hate you, Percy."

"Then why didn't you answer my first twenty seven calls?"

Jason pointedly looked away from him and sighed. He noticed that there was a stain on the white wall that looked suspiciously like blood and resembled something of a flying pegasus. Or a dog with horns.

Percy cleared his throat, drawing Jason's attention and the blonde desperately wanted to turn invisible.

"I-I think we should take a break." He blurted out and Percy's eyes widened because that was not the answer he was expecting.

"What? Why?"

"Because," Jason said, "you're obviously still in love with Annabeth."

Percy gasped. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. Why else would you be holding her hand and about to kiss her?" Jason asked and Percy almost responded before he realized it was a rhetorical question and _rhetorical_ was a word he learned from Annabeth. _Crap_. "You still have feelings for her, and I totally understand that. She was your first love and if you want to have a future with her instead of me, that's fine, but if you're going to be with me, you need to be sure. I don't want to waste my time."

_Damn_, Percy thought.

He was being given an ultimatum between Jason and Annabeth, who were similar but couldn't be more different. He still did love Annabeth, but he didn't want to get his heart broken by her again. On the other hand, with Jason, he knew that the blonde would never hurt him like Annabeth did, but he wasn't sure they were to the point in their relationship that they could say they loved each other. He had rushed into things without telling Jason that he was still in love with someone else, hoping that the boy would be able to heal his broken heart.

And Percy knew he shouldn't feel this strongly about their relationship, but he didn't want it to end. He had actually started to think he was falling in love with Jason and then Annabeth arrived and screwed everything up. Right now, Percy felt like he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between up and down even if there were flashing signs in front of him.

"Maybe we should break up," Percy said, a hint of anger in his voice, "since this relationship was a waste of time."

"Percy - "

"I mean, that's fine with me if it's okay with you. What do you think?" He asked, green eyes flaring.

Jason nodded, now feeling a little infuriated that Percy was putting all the blame on him. "I do think that we should break up. It's only for the best." He said sickly sweet, standing up from his chair. Percy glared at him.

"Have a nice life, Jackson." Jason said as he walked out of the room and Percy let out a string of curses.

And just like that, their relationship had deteriorated to nothing but memories and broken dreams.

* * *

**Okay, I know it took me awhile to update, but I was having something of writer's block. And tomorrow I start band camp - eek - which is for two weeks from eight in the morning to five in the afternoon, which means that I most likely won't have time to write as much as I do now.**

**That, however, doesn't mean I won't be writing because I will. The updates will just come slower.**

**Also, the week after band camp ends, on Monday, is my birthday (yes, August 11th. If you mark your calendars, I'll feel extra special, hehe). And then a week after my birthday, school starts and then I'll be balancing band and school.**

**So yeah, guys, please don't think about killing me in between updates. I'm gonna be really really busy.**

**Just thought I'd give you guys a heads up. ;)**

**Thank you, lovelies!**

**- Hazel x**


	12. Chapter 12

Percy didn't see Jason the next day, or the day after that.

As a matter of fact, he didn't see the blonde until six months later, at the start of the new school year, when he was walking down one of the university's many hallways. He had been walking with Rachel to their world history class, his binder and notebooks held close to his chest as he conversated with the red-headed girl next to him when his eyes swept over the crowd in front of him and spotted a certain blonde-haired blue-eyed boy. Jason hadn't seen him, but the sight of the blonde boy made Percy's heart swell in a way that it shouldn't have.

He had a girlfriend now and her name was Annabeth.

(_Yes, a lot can happen in six months but we can always elaborate on that later. Right now, let's be concerned about Percy avoiding Jason_.)

"Crap," Percy interrupted Rachel's speech about some exotic animal heading into extinction.

"Whaa - "

Before she could say anything else, he grabbed her arm and pulled them into the nearest classroom.

And then Percy groaned upon noticing which classroom he was in and that it was full of students, wide eyes trained on them. Rachel adjusted the floral print headband that held her flaming curls back as the teacher, an older man with graying black hair and angry purple eyes, stood in front of them.

"Peter Johnston," Mr. D said, a scowl settling on his pudgy face as he stared the two down. He was wearing a leopard printed Hawaiian shirt with khaki cargos that made even Percy cringe, and he had no fashion taste whatsoever. "I hope you know that it's not polite to interrupt classes."

Rather than apologizing to the teacher that always seemed to come to school drunk, the green-eyed boy tensed and glared at the man. "My name is _Percy Jackson_," he said, gritting his teeth. The man had never gotten Percy's name right once ever since his freshman year when he was in Mr. D's class and that was three years ago. Certainly enough time to learn someone's name.

"Aaand we're just about to go," Rachel said to Mr. D, placing a comforting hand on Percy's arm and he instantly relaxed into her grip. "C'mon, Percy, it's not worth it."

Seeing that she was right, he backed down, following the red-headed girl out of the classroom. When they emerged back into the hallway, Percy found himself subconsciously searching the corridor with his eyes and he was half relieved he didn't see Jason.

What he did see, however, was a slightly irritated Rachel. Her hands were rested on the hips of her paint splattered skinny jeans, emerald eyes narrowed intently on Percy. He squirmed, nervously scratching the back of his neck.

"What was that about, Jackson?" Rachel questioned him.

"I just really missed Mr. D," Percy lied blatantly, looking over his shoulder back at the classroom they'd just came out of. "He has such a strong personality."

She raised a quizzical eyebrow, eyes still trained on him. "From what I remember, you hated that class and Mr. D, too. He gave you detention every day for no reason and he still doesn't know your name." Rachel said, settling Percy with a knowing and stern look. She didn't have to say anything for Percy to know that she wasn't oblivious. She knew about him seeing Jason.

"I don't see why you're avoiding him still." The red-headed girl sighed. "If the break-up was mutual, you should be able to talk to him and not duck behind a trash can whenever you see him."

"I never ducked behind a trashcan," Percy said. "Maybe the occasional pole."

Rachel lowered her eyebrows.

Percy ran a hand through his raven hair, not meeting her eyes. "It's complicated, okay?"

"It's really not."

"I haven't talked to him in six months."

"Is that his fault or yours?" Rachel asked and he let out a groan of irritation, knowing she was right.

But Percy couldn't help it. Sure, he wasn't in love with Jason, but he still loved the blonde boy, even if he was with Annabeth. He still grew short of breath at the sight of the boy and his stomach twisted in something that resembled guilt. He just wasn't able to talk to him.

Percy clutched his books closer to his chest, feeling open and vulnerable. "Can we just go to class please? Coach says that if I stress too much, my performance will go down."

"If that's your way of making me feel bad for bringing him up, then it worked." Rachel said, laughing and shoving the green-eyed boy as they once again started walking towards their next class, which was psychology. Percy only picked it because he knew he'd have it with Rachel, who was pretty much his personal tutor whenever Annabeth wasn't around. Though he knew Rachel was going to be reluctant to willingly give him test answers now partly because of Annabeth. The blonde was constantly going on about Percy learning to be successful on his own accord without cheating off of others.

He'd be lucky if he even passed the class with a D.

When they reached the classroom, Percy held the door open for Rachel, being the gentleman that he was, and followed her in. They made their way through the rows of desks and much to Percy's dismay, Rachel sat down in the dead center of the room. Percy rolled his eyes but sat in the desk next to her anyway.

"Really, Rach?" Percy said, rolling his eyes as he set his binders and books on the desktop. "Why couldn't we sit in the back?"

She scoffed. "With all of those troublemakers? No way."

He pouted, jutting his bottom lip out slightly. "But that's where we belong."

"Correction. That's where _you_ belong, Jackson." Rachel pointed the tip of her wooden pencil at him. "You're welcome to leave."

Percy glanced over his shoulder at the group of teenagers in the back of the classroom where the boys were throwing paper footballs at each other, the girls were taking selfies, and there was the occasional person taking their mid-day nap. He turned back around to face the red-headed girl beside him. "Nah, I'm good."

At that moment, the professor walked in, a tall black-haired woman in a pantsuit that walked with elegance that rivaled that of Audrey Hepburn herself. Her back was facing them as she unpacked the contents of her briefcase - several thick textbooks, notebooks, a laptop, et cetera - and then she turned around, her face all sharp angles and intense eyes reminding Percy of storm clouds. The woman's features changed as her eyes landed on the green-eyed boy and he choked, sinking low into his seat.

Rachel sent Percy a questioning look, reaching out to pat him on the back as he struggled to return his breathing back to normal.

"Are you okay?" She questioned, resisting the urge to laugh at her best friend's distress.

"That's Athena," Percy rasped, clearing his throat repeatedly. He was aware of the many wondering looks he was earning. "S-she's Annabeth's mom."

Rachel let out a loud cackle of laughter, throwing her head back. "Holy freakin' shit! She's totally gonna fail you."

"Shhh, she's looking at us."

"So? She already sees you."

"Shut up before she comes over here."

"Excuse me?"

"I said shut u - "

Their bickering was interrupted as the classroom door opened and revealed a young guy wearing a white button up and black vans as he walked in with a swagger Percy instantly recognized. His heart was hammering in his chest and he was sure his face was the darkest shade of red that ever existed.

Rachel leaned forward in her seat, her eyes narrowed as she studied the blonde boy standing awkwardly in the classroom doorway. "Wait, is that - ?"

Percy buried his face in his arms. "Ohmygod,yes."

And then Rachel laughed so hard that she snorted, then laughed harder because she snorted, and then snorted again because she was just laughing that hard.

Percy was ready to strangle her, but he remembered that he was in Athena Chase's (aka Annabeth's mother) classroom and he was really trying not to get kicked out of university during his last year there.

"Sorry, I'm late, Miss Chase," Jason said as he pulled a yellow pass out of his back pocket and handed it to Athena. "One of the teachers asked if I could help rearrange their classroom."

Percy rolled his eyes. Of course, Jason was still Mr. Perfect.

"You're excused." Athena said before turning to face her class, straightening up her navy blazer.

"For those of you who don't know who I am, I'm Athena Chase," she continued, her eyes settling on Percy's suddenly self-conscious form. He ran a hand through his hair. "I'm the science department chair and your psychology teacher, and I'm certainly qualified for both positions. I attended Harvard University, I am a published author, and I'm a perfectionist.

"With that said, I have set a couple of ground rules for this classroom. I don't tolerate cheating or plagarizing. My teacher's assistant, Jason Grace, will be my second set of eyes, so don't hesitate to think you won't get caught doing anything you're not supposed to be doing." Athena glanced at Percy so quickly, he almost didn't catch the steely look she sent him.

She continued going on about what was acceptable in her classroom and whatnot, and Percy found himself growing bored. Due to his ADHD, he found it hard to concentrate and started to pay attention to little details that no one else would've probably paid attention to. Like the way Jason had his arms crossed over his chest and would look down at the floor, a smirk toying with his lips whenever Athena said something that he found remotely funny. Or the way he would roll up the sleeves of his white button up enticingly.

Suddenly, Jason's azure eyes flickered over to Percy and the green-eyed boy tensed, heart fluttering ferociously.

And then the blonde winked at him. _Goddamned winked at him_.

What was Jason trying to do? Give him a heart attack? Anyways, wasn't Jason the one that broke up with him? So why was he freaking winking at him and being a flirt? Percy had a girlfriend, for crying out loud.

Percy broke eye contact and looked down at his notebook, resulting to avoiding Jason's gaze for the rest of the class. And even when the class ended, the green-eyed boy purposely ignored the blonde's call, swiftly pulling Rachel with him out of the classroom.

"You're still smitten with him," Rachel stated once they were outside of her dorm room. She leaned against the wall, twirling her keys around her pointer finger.

"So what if I am?" Percy asked.

Rachel looked at him over her shoulder as she unlocked the door. "Annabeth will kill you."

* * *

**Ummm, I had half of this chapter written for like two weeks but I was being lazy and procrastinating but hey, it's up! (_Mostly because tomorrow is my birthday and school starts in a week ahhh_)**

**Again, I'm going to remind you guys that I'm going to be super busy. My school changed the schedule from four classes a semester to seven classes all year, so I'll have like two times more homework. Also, I'm really involved in band, so I'll be staying after school three times a week for that and with the addition of homework, it leaves virtually almost no time for me to write. So please bear with me.**

**So yeah, next chapter I'll go into more detail about Percy's relationship with Annabeth. Again, this was me being too lazy to write more, haha. Whatever, though.**

**Don't forget to review, follow, and favorite! Love you guys!**

**- Hazel**


	13. Chapter 13

Percy and Annabeth getting together really didn't happen overnight.

It happened sometime after she transferred back to Olympus University to keep a close eye on the green-eyed boy for Sally, his mother. Still, it took some time to let each other back into each other's lives and even then, it was still incredibly hard.

The pivotal point in their relationship didn't happen until four months (and nine days, but who's counting?) after Annabeth's return.

Percy had been struggling to get through his Calculus 2 homework, studying intently (one of those rare moments) and was trying to remember how to what the hell cosine was when there was a quick rap on the door. Percy groaned.

"Coming!" He shouted before brushing aside the pile of papers and getting up to get the door.

"Hey, wha - " Percy's breath hitched in his throat when he opened the door, coming face to face with Annabeth herself.

He'd might have given her a smart ass remark about showing up if her eyes weren't rimmed with tears, but he wasn't that much of a jerk. Instead of asking what was wrong, Percy simply gathered her into his arms, pulling her into the warmth of his dorm room.

Annabeth clutched onto him as if he was her life anchor, burying her face into his chest as she cried. He rested his chin on her head like he used to do back when they were dating. Everything felt so familiar like this, the way their bodies molded perfectly together and the way no one mattered but each other.

Eventually, Annabeth's tears reduced to small hiccups and Percy led her to the small futon, saying, "I'll be right back."

While he was gone, the blonde girl glanced around the small room, her eyes catching onto the little details that other people normally wouldn't have noticed due to her architect's eye. She noticed that Percy no longer had the pictures of them hung on his walls and he had twice as many trophies then he did the last time she'd seen his collection.

There was also things that had changed about his appearance. Percy's hair was now much longer than she was used to and just as dishevelled as ever, sticking up here and there in random directions. His sense of style had somewhat improved - he now wore clothes of the same color scheme rather than just throwing on whatever he could find.

Though the thing that changed the most about Percy was his face. His glowing green eyes lost some of the mirth that it used to carry and yet, his eyes were as mesmerizing as ever. The creases around his eyes were more prominent than before.

Percy just seemed so much more... _mature._

Annabeth really did feel like she missed out a lot in the last ten months...

And then Percy returned carrying a cup full of a hot and steaming liquid, handing it to her. She raised her eyebrows and he rolled his eyes.

"It's green tea," Percy said, watching as she took the small cup into her dainty hands.

"Thanks," Annabeth smiled softly. She sipped from the cup, revelling in the warmth it sent through her body as it went down her throat.

Percy grinned, noticing the blissful look on her face as she drank the tea. It made him feel all fuzzy inside.

When she finished drinking the tea, she set the cup on the coffee table.

"I can't believe you remember how much I love green tea." Annabeth laughed morbidly, turning her head to look at him.

He shrugged, smirking. "Boyfriend thing, I guess."

...

"So do you care to explain why you were crying?" Percy asked, wringing his fingers together. He was unsure of whether or not Annabeth would blow up at him or simply answer his question. He was hoping it was the latter.

Annabeth wiped her nose on the sleeve of her navy cardigan, sniffling softly. Then she said, "I saw Luke."

Percy instantly tensed. He clenched his fists, wondering which part of Luke's body he was going to decapitate first.

"What did he say?" Percy asked slowly.

Annabeth rested her hands on his knee in a comforting way. "It's fine, Percy..," she sat up a bit straighter, immediately changing the subject, "so I haven't seen you in a while. How are you?"

Percy got the sense that she was purposefully trying to avoid the subject of Luke, but he let it slide, instead answering the question Annabeth had asked him.

Over the course of the next few hours, they simply talked, he laughed and everything he'd ever hated about her was forgotten in an instant. They gravitated towards each other, both figuratively and literally. Percy ended up laying on the couch with Annabeth on top of him, his arms wrapped around her small frame.

Annabeth laughed at something Percy said, her grey eyes crinkling at the corners and then her grey eyes met emerald ones that were already looking at her. They found themselves looking into each other's eyes, like old times, and then they were leaning closer, eyes closing.

And when their lips met, it was as if the stars were aligning once again.

* * *

**Omg guys!** **I'm sorry that this chapter is** **utter crap (tbh, I knew what Iwanted it to be about but I didn't know how to write it...) and** **I'm sorry that I took so long to update.I've just realky had a lot on my plate what with band and running for class president and I'm honest to God trying to update as fast and efficiently as I can. **

**Let's** **hope that I can keep to the promise of two updates a month? Haha.**

**Thanks** **for those of you that stuck around.I love you guys!**

- **Hazel** **x**


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